• adj. 认真的，热心的；重要的
• n. 认真；定金；诚挚
• n. (Earnest)人名；(英)欧内斯特

来自PIE*er, 行动，开始。其本义为严肃，认真的开始，行动，原词义见in earnest. 后引申词义热忱的。

earnest

earnest: [OE] Earnest was originally a much more red-blooded word than it is today. It comes ultimately from a Germanic base *ern- which denoted ‘vigour’ or ‘briskness’. To this was added the noun suffix – ost (earnest was originally a noun), giving Old English eornost, which appears at first to have meant ‘intense passion’, and particularly ‘zeal in battle’. However, by the end of the Old English period there is already evidence of a semantic toning down from ‘intensity of feeling’ to ‘seriousness of feeling’ (as opposed to ‘frivolity’), a process which has culminated in modern English connotations of ‘over-seriousness’.

earnest (adj.1)

from Old English eornoste (adj.) "zealous, serious," or from Old English noun eornost "seriousness, serious intent" (surviving only in the phrase in earnest), from Proto-Germanic *er-n-os-ti- (cognates: Old Saxon ernust, Old Frisian ernst, Old High German arnust "seriousness, firmness, struggle," German Ernst "seriousness;" Gothic arniba "safely, securely;" Old Norse ern "able, vigorous," jarna "fight, combat"), perhaps from PIE root *er- (1) "to move, set in motion." The proper name Ernest (literally "resolute") is from the same root. Related: Earnestness.

earnest (adj.2)

"portion of something given or done in advance as a pledge," early 15c., with excrescent -t- (perhaps from influence of the other earnest), from Middle English ernes (c. 1200), "a pledge or promise;" often "a foretaste of what is to follow;" also (early 13c.) "sum of money as a pledge to secure a purchase or bind a bargain (earnest-money); from Old French erres and directly from Latin arra, probably from Phoenician or another Semitic language (compare Hebrew 'eravon "a pledge"). Sometimes in Middle English as erness, suggesting it was perceived as er "early" + -ness.

1. It presented in satirical terms points made in earnest by Catholic writers.

它用讽刺的语言呈现了天主教作家郑重其事表明的观点。

来自柯林斯例句

2. While this conver-sation was going on, I was listening with earnest attention.

这场对话进行的时候，我聚精会神地听着。

来自柯林斯例句

3. On December 8 the media blitz began in earnest.

12月8日，一场大规模媒体宣传活动轰轰烈烈地展开了。

来自柯林斯例句

4. The race for the White House begins in earnest today.

入主白宫的角逐今天正式开始。

来自柯林斯例句

5. Ella was a pious, earnest woman.

埃拉是个虔诚、认真的女人。

来自柯林斯例句