Earnest1. (a.) Sincere; purposeful; ardent in the pursuit of an object; eager to obtain or do; zealous with sincerity; with hearty endeavor; heartfelt; fervent; hearty; -- used in a good sense; as, earnest prayers.
2. (n.) Seriousness; reality; fixed determination; eagerness; intentness.
3. (a.) Intent; fixed closely; as, earnest attention.
4. (a.) Serious; important.
5. (v. t.) To use in earnest.
6. (n.) Something given, or a part paid beforehand, as a pledge; pledge; handsel; a token of what is to come.
7. (n.) Something of value given by the buyer to the seller, by way of token or pledge, to bind the bargain and prove the sale.
Thesaurus Entries
abandoned, acquitment, acquittal, acquittance, advertent, afire, agog, alert, all ears, all eyes, amortization, amortizement, ardent, assiduous, attention, attentive, aware, awe-inspiring, bail, binder, bond, bound, bound and determined, burning, busy, careful, cash, cash payment, clearance, committed, concentrated, conscientious, conscious, debt service, decided, decisive, decorous, dedicated, definite, defrayal, defrayment, demure, deposit, determined, devoted, devout, diligent, disbursal, discharge, doling out, down payment, eager, earnest money, enthusiasm, enthusiastic, escrow, faithful, fatal, fateful, fervent, fervid, fiery, finical, finicking, finicky, firm, flaming, formal, formidable, frowning, gage, grave, grim, grim-faced, grim-visaged, guarantee, handsel, hard-working, hearty, heated, heavy, heedful, hire purchase, hire purchase plan, hock, hostage, hot, hot-blooded, impassioned, imposing, in earnest, industrious, installment, installment plan, intense, intent, intent on, intentive, intentness, interest, interest payment, keen, liquidation, long-faced, loyal, mainprise, meticulous, mindful, monthly payments, never-never, nice, niggling, no-nonsense, observant, observing, obstinate, on fire, on the ball, on the job, open-eared, open-eyed, openmouthed, passionate, pawn, paying, paying off, paying out, paying up, payment, payment in kind, payoff, perfervid, perseverant, persevering, persistent, pignus, pledge, portentous, prepayment, pressing, purposeful, quarterly payments, quittance, recognizance, red-hot, regardful, regular payments, relentless, remittance, replevin, replevy, resolute, resolved, retirement, satisfaction, security, sedate, sedulous, serious, seriousness, settlement, sincere, single-minded, sinking-fund payment, sober, sober-minded, sobersided, solemn, somber, spirited, spot cash, staid, steady, stone-faced, straight-faced, surety, tenacious, thoughtful, token, token payment, undertaking, unsmiling, vadimonium, vadium, vehement, warm, warmth, warrant, watchful, weekly payments, weighty, white-hot, wholehearted, zeal, zealous