earnest

Meanings

• adjective

  Showing sincere and serious intention; earnestness.

  - "He gave an earnest promise to keep his word."
  - "Her earnest pleas for help were ignored."

• noun

  A serious and sincere request or appeal.

  - "He made an earnest appeal for peace."
  - "She made an earnest request for a loan."

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Pronunciation

1. /ˈɝnɪst/
   
   
   
   Source: "https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=277156"
2. /ˈɝnɪst/
   
   
   
   Source: "https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=277156"
3. /ˈɝnɪst/
   
   
   
   Source: "https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=277156"

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Synonyms

generate , make , render , yield , deserve , garner , merit , win

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Rhymes

Words rhyming with earnest
urns , turns , earns , spurns , urns

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Variants

List of all variants of earnest that leads to same result
earnest , earnestness , earnestnesses , earnests , in earnest

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Forms

Different forms of the word (e.g., verb conjugations, plural forms, comparative/superlative forms for adjectives).

earnestly, earnestness, earnestings

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Etymology

origin and the way in which meanings have changed throughout history.

From Old French ergneis, from ergner 'to urge'.

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Trivia

Any details, considerations, events or pieces of information regarding the word

1. The word 'earnest' is often used in the title of novels and movies to convey a serious and heartfelt theme.

2. In the 16th century, 'earnest money' was a deposit paid to a seller to show that a buyer was serious about purchasing a property.

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Related Concepts

informations on related concepts or terms closely associated with the word. Discuss semantic fields or domains that the word belongs to

1. sincerity: The quality of being genuine and heartfelt in one's feelings or expressions.

2. seriousness: The quality of being free from play or jest; gravity.

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Quotes

Quotes by authors and personalities

1. Students of all ages were forced to watch these "earnest" but bizarre short films, which apprised them of such things as the folly of playing on steep precipices overlooking the ocean, the need to minimize one's square-dancing during the early days of the menstrual cycle, the inadvisability of shooting heroin before an important track meet and the necessity of placing the fork to the left of the plate.

   - Joe Queenan,{it}New York Times{/it},20 Jan. 2000

2. … a bland expression on my face, looking more innocent than an innocent person has any business looking, I imagined that the sales-women who sometimes glanced over at me saw an "earnest" young shopper instead of a transparent little klepto.

   - Tobias Wolff,{it}Forbes{/it},20 Mar. 1989

3. … a Prussian émigré who became a middle-class English gentleman; an angry agitator who spent much of his adult life in the scholarly silence of the British Museum Reading Room; a gregarious and convivial host who fell out with almost all his friends; a devoted family man who impregnated his housemaid; and a deeply "earnest" philosopher who loved drink, cigars and jokes.

   - Francis Wheen,{it}The Nation{/it},10 July 2000

4. Barnum's antics provoked tongue-in-cheek reporting and nods and winks in the newspapers, but no "earnest" cries of humbug. The artful deceiver turned fraud into family fun.

   - Jackson Lears,{it}New Republic{/it},12 Nov. 2001

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Culture

Any cultural, historical, or symbolic significance of the word. Explore how the word has been used in literature, art, music, or other forms of expression.

In literature, 'earnest' is often used to describe characters who are sincere and serious in their intentions. In art, earnestness can be depicted through intense expressions or gestures. In music, earnestness can be conveyed through the use of slow tempos and serious lyrics.

How to Memorize "earnest"

1. visualize
   

   - Visualize a person making a serious and heartfelt request or appeal.

2. associate
   

   - Associate the word 'earnest' with sincerity and seriousness.

3. mnemonics
   

   - Create a mnemonic by remembering the word 'earnest' as 'eager to be serious'.

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