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Earnest
EARNEST, a. ern'est.
1. Ardent in the pursuit of an object; eager to obtain; having a longing desire; warmly engaged or incited.
They are never more earnest to disturb us, than when they see us most earnest in this duty.
2. Ardent; warm; eager; zealous; animated; importunate; as earnest in love; earnest in prayer.
3. Intent; fixed.
On that prospect strange
Their earnest eyes were fixed.
4. Serious; important; that is, really intent or engaged; whence the phrase, in earnest. To be in earnest, is to be really urging or stretching towards an object; intent on a pursuit. Hence, from fixed attention, comes the sense of seriousness in the pursuit, as opposed to trifling or jest. Are you in earnest or in jest?
EARNEST, n. ern'est. Seriousness; a reality; a real event; as opposed to jesting or feigned appearance.
Take heed that this jest do not one day turn to earnest.
And given in earnest what I begg'd in jest.
1. First fruits; that which is in advance, and gives promise of something to come. Early fruit may be an earnest of fruit to follow. The first success in arms may be an earnest of future success. The christian's peace of mind in this life is an earnest of future peace and happiness. Hence earnest or earnest-money is a first payment or deposit giving promise or assurance of full payment. Hence the practice of giving an earnest to ratify a bargain.
This sense of the word is primary, denoting that which goes before, or in advance. Thus the earnest of the spirit is given to saints, as a pledge or assurance of their future enjoyment of God's presence and favor.
earnest appears in definitions for these words:
Adjure Agood Assiduously Beg Busily Charge Chase Close Contend Contest Covet Coveted Crave Craved Craving Cry Declaim Desirable Desire Desirously Devotion Devout Devoutly Diligence Eagerly Earnest Earnestly Earnestness Engaged Engagedly Engagedness Entreaat Entreat Entreated Entreater Entreating Entreaty Expostulate Fervent Fervently Fervid Fervor Forerun Forward Game Gape Gaze Gods-penny Good Hand Handsel Hard Heartiness Heed Here Imploration Implore Implored Implorer Imploring Imprest Instant Instantly Intensely Intention Intently Interpellation Jealousy Jest Jestingly Joke Leather-seller Long Longing Mightily Months-mind Obsecrate Outpray Overeagerness Peroration Plainly Plead Pray Prayer Preacher Press Request Roundly Serious Seriously Seriousness Slack Solicit Solicitation Solicited Soliciting Solicitor Stare Strenuousness Strive Striving Strivingly Strong Struggling Studiously Suppliant Supplicant Supplicate Supplication Trifling Urge Urgency Warm Warmly Warmth Wish Wistful Wistfully Wistly Yearn Zealot
Adjure Agood Assiduously Beg Busily Charge Chase Close Contend Contest Covet Coveted Crave Craved Craving Cry Declaim Desirable Desire Desirously Devotion Devout Devoutly Diligence Eagerly Earnest Earnestly Earnestness Engaged Engagedly Engagedness Entreaat Entreat Entreated Entreater Entreating Entreaty Expostulate Fervent Fervently Fervid Fervor Forerun Forward Game Gape Gaze Gods-penny Good Hand Handsel Hard Heartiness Heed Here Imploration Implore Implored Implorer Imploring Imprest Instant Instantly Intensely Intention Intently Interpellation Jealousy Jest Jestingly Joke Leather-seller Long Longing Mightily Months-mind Obsecrate Outpray Overeagerness Peroration Plainly Plead Pray Prayer Preacher Press Request Roundly Serious Seriously Seriousness Slack Solicit Solicitation Solicited Soliciting Solicitor Stare Strenuousness Strive Striving Strivingly Strong Struggling Studiously Suppliant Supplicant Supplicate Supplication Trifling Urge Urgency Warm Warmly Warmth Wish Wistful Wistfully Wistly Yearn Zealot
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