in earnest Thành ngữ, tục ngữin earnestWith sincere intentions. If the two sides can't sit down and negotiate in earnest, they're never going to come to an agreement.*in earnestwith sincerity. (*Typically: act ~; be ~; speak ~.) I've done all the research I need. I spent the day writing the paper in earnest. Mary's comments were in earnest. She really meant them.in earnest1. With purposeful or sincere intent, as in We settled down to study in earnest. [c. a.d. 1000] 2. 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] in ˈearnest1 more seriously and with more force or effort than before: The work on the building will begin in earnest on Monday. 2 very serious and sincere about what you are saying and about your intentions; in a way that shows that you are serious: You may laugh but Im in deadly earnest. I could tell she was speaking in earnest. in earnest1. With a purposeful or sincere intent: settled down to study in earnest for the examination. 2. Serious; determined: "Both sides are deeply in earnest, with passions that approximate those of civil war" (Conor Cruise O'Brien).
in earnestserious（ly）认真的／地Her parents thought the girl was joking when she said she wanted to be a scientist，but she was in earnest．这女孩说她想当一名科学家，她父母认为她是在开玩笑，但她却是认真的。 Surely you are not in earnest in saying that，are you？你说那话不是当真的，是吗？ Did you say it in earnest？你那样讲是当真的吗？ in earnest|earnestadv. or adj. phr. Seriously; in a determined way. The beaver was building his dam in earnest. Bill did his homework in earnest. |
