earnest

Etymology 1

From Middle English ernest, eornest, from Old English eornest, eornost, eornust (“earnestness, zeal, seriousness, battle”), from Proto-Germanic *ernustuz (“earnest, strength, solidity, struggle, fight”), a derivative of Proto-Germanic *arniz (“efficient, capable, diligent, sure”), from Proto-Indo-European *er- (“to cause to move, arouse, increase”). Cognate with West Frisian earnst (“earnest, seriousness”), Dutch ernst (“seriousness, gravity, earnest”), German Ernst (“seriousness, earnestness, zeal, vigour”), Icelandic ern (“brisk, vigorous”), Gothic 𐌰𐍂𐌽𐌹𐌱𐌰 (arniba, “secure, certain, sure”). The adjective is from Middle English eornest, from Old English eornoste (“earnest, zealous, serious”), from the noun. Cognate with North Frisian ernste (“earnest”), Middle Low German ernest, ernst (“serious, earnest”), German ernst (“serious, earnest”).

noun

1. Gravity; serious purpose; earnestness.
   1914, February 13, The Times, Obituary: Canon Augustus Jessopp He wrote well in a forcible, colloquial style, with the air of being tremendously in earnest, and full of knowledge which overflowed his pages, tricked out with somewhat boisterous illustrations.
2. Seriousness; reality; actuality (as opposed to joking or pretence)

verb

1. (transitive) To be serious with; use in earnest.
   Let's prove among ourselves our armes in jest, That when we come to earnest them with men, We may them better use. 1602, Pastor Fido, (Please provide the book title or journal name)

adj

1. (said of an action or an utterance) Serious or honest.
2. (with a positive sense) Focused in the pursuit of an objective; eager to obtain or do.
   earnest prayers
3. Intent; focused; showing a lot of concentration.
   earnest attention
4. (said of a person or a person's character) Possessing or characterised by seriousness.
   an earnest disposition
5. Strenuous; diligent.
   earnest efforts
6. Serious; weighty; of a serious, weighty, or important nature; important.

Etymology 2

Uncertain; apparently related to erres. Compare also arles.

noun

1. A sum of money paid in advance as a deposit; hence, a pledge, a guarantee, an indication of something to come.
   But if all this was viewed by Gladstone and the Cabinet as an earnest of St Petersburg's future good intentions in Central Asia, then disillusionment was soon to follow. 1990, Peter Hopkirk, The Great Game, Folio Society, published 2010, page 365

Etymology 3

earn + -est

verb

1. (archaic) second-person singular simple present indicative of earn