adj
earnest
UR-nihst
adj
1
Serious and sincere in intention or feeling.
"He made an earnest attempt to apologise for his mistake."
"She spoke in an earnest, heartfelt tone."
noun
1
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."
How to Use Earnest
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSincere and serious about something — or, as a noun, a deposit paid to show serious intent.
Common pairings
earnest effort
in earnest
earnest money
Word Forms
earnester comparative, more earnest comparative, earnested past tense, earnests plural, earnests singular, earnestest superlative, most earnest superlative
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He made an _____ attempt to apologise for his mistake.
Etymology
From Old English eornest, meaning "zeal, seriousness, or even battle", related to Germanic words for vigour and diligence.