in earnest
32
4.8
- idiom
:
en serio
- After months of planning, the team met in earnest to finalize the project details.
- began in earnest
- work in earnest
- negotiate in earnest
He says we see from a man's face whether he is in earnest about what he is saying or doing.
- He says we see from a man's face whether he is in earnest about what he is saying or doing.
- And this pushback by many in this field had not yet fully begun in earnest.
- I think big rarity in this regard is Michael Levin, who is considering these things in earnest.
- And finally, in the last third of the course, this is really when the projects kick off in earnest.
- Radical acceptance is where this healing process starts in earnest, and there's an entire chapter about it in the book.
- There's another video coming out on that soon and has to happen first and only then can the healing really happen in earnest.
- You might not hit it, but just trying in earnest is, is the point.
- And that'll set us up then to launch in in earnest on next week.
- But anyhow, RKK and I met in earnest there.
- So we're not going to meet on Thursday what we will start in earnest the following week.
- And then Hegel says, yeah, but consciousness is not really even in earnest about that.
Examples
-
Actually, this conversation has been occurring in earnest for approximately ten years within the worldwide community of music educators.
Academic text (2011) -
I never was more in earnest.
-
So we're not going to meet on Thursday what we will start in earnest the following week.
-
The two men stood at the foot of the steps, engaged in earnest conversation.
Fiction book (1992) -
Mr. Chairman, I made that call to the Ethics Commission in earnest.
-
Years later, I began to investigate in earnest what really makes a great movie tick from the inside out.
Academic text (2011) -
In the United States, state and federal regulation of hazardous materials began in earnest in the 1970s.
Academic text (2001) -
Sofia began guided reading instruction in earnest in January 2012.
Academic text (2015) -
Soon after, I began studying Kabbalah in earnest at various yeshivas.
Fiction book (1999) -
Radical acceptance is where this healing process starts in earnest, and there's an entire chapter about it in the book.
Synonyms
∞
1.6
In a way that shows you mean what you say
216
2.5
In a real and honest way, not pretending
152
1.0
In a way that shows true feelings without pretending
57
4.6
Completely and sincerely, with full support and no doubts
57
4.2
To speak or act in a serious and respectful way
20
3.9
In a serious and honest way that shows a strong wish
Antonyms
How Serious
5
5.4
57
4.6
606
1.6
32
4.8
103
2.5
27
2.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is compositionally built from 'in' (indicating manner/state) + 'earnest' (serious, sincere), so its meaning 'in a serious or sincere way' is directly derivable from the parts. This in + adjective adverbial pattern is common cross-linguistically (e.g. 'en serio', 'sérieusement'), so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily understand it.
Etymology
The phrase in earnest comes from an old custom of giving an earnest, a small payment to show you really mean a promise. So when someone does something in earnest, they do it 'to be serious', not joking.