in earnest
Idioms-
With purposeful or sincere intent, as in We settled down to study in earnest . [c. a.d. 1000]
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Also, in dead earnest . Serious, determined, as in We thought he was joking, but he was in earnest , or I'm in dead earnest about selling the business . In the variant, from the late 1800s, dead means “completely” or “thoroughly” and is used purely for emphasis. [c. a.d. 1000]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
As I wove my way through the sleepy streets toward what would soon be the infamous Griffin’s Wharf, I started my search for the Butterfly in earnest.
From Literature
Ellison began his quest in earnest with a September visit to Zaslav’s Beverly Hills home, once owned by legendary Paramount studio chief Robert Evans.
With a couple of shakes, Duane dried himself off and began his exploring in earnest.
From Literature
She was deep into the writing of “Kin” when her Graves’ disease flared in earnest.
From Los Angeles Times
But an effort to remove him from the country was started in earnest.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
