Examples of “earnest” in a Sentence

adj Serious and sincere in intention or feeling.

• He made an earnest attempt to apologize for his mistake.
• She spoke in an earnest, heartfelt tone.
• The young volunteer gave an earnest speech about protecting the park.

noun A sum of money paid in advance as a pledge or guarantee that a larger deal will go ahead.

• The buyer put down an earnest payment to secure the property.
• The seller kept the earnest money when the buyer withdrew from the sale.
• He handed over a deposit as earnest of his serious intent to buy.