• adj. 認真的，熱心的；重要的
• n. 認真；定金；誠摯
• n. (Earnest)人名；(英)歐內斯特

來自PIE*er, 行動，開始。其本義為嚴肅，認真的開始，行動，原詞義見in earnest. 后引申詞義熱忱的。

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.

它用諷刺的語言呈現了天主教作家鄭重其事表明的觀點。

來自柯林斯例句

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

這場對話進行的時候，我聚精會神地聽著。

來自柯林斯例句

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

12月8日，一場大規模媒體宣傳活動轟轟烈烈地展開了。

來自柯林斯例句

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

入主白宮的角逐今天正式開始。

來自柯林斯例句

5. Ella was a pious, earnest woman.

埃拉是個虔誠、認真的女人。

來自柯林斯例句