Ear"nest (?), n. [AS. eornost,
eornest; akin to OHG. ernust, G. ernst; cf.
Icel. orrosta battle, perh. akin to Gr. &?; to excite, L.
oriri to rise.] Seriousness; reality; fixed
determination; eagerness; intentness.
Take heed that this jest do not one day turn to
earnest.
Sir P. Sidney.
And given in earnest what I begged in
jest.
Shak.
In earnest, serious; seriously; not in jest;
earnestly.
Ear"nest, a. 1.
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.
An earnest advocate to plead for
him.
Shak.
2. Intent; fixed closely; as, earnest
attention.
3. Serious; important. [Obs.]
They whom earnest lets do often
hinder.
Hooker.
Syn. -- Eager; warm; zealous; ardent; animated;
importunate; fervent; sincere; serious; hearty; urgent. See
Eager.
Ear"nest, v. t. To use in
earnest. [R.]
To earnest them [our arms] with
men.
Pastor Fido (1602).
Ear"nest, n. [Prob. corrupted fr. F.
arrhes, L. arra, arrha, arrhabo, Gr.
'arrabw`n, of Semitic origin, cf. Heb.
ērāvōn; or perh. fr. W. ernes, akin
to Gael. earlas, perh. fr. L. arra. Cf. Arles,
Earles penny.] 1. Something given, or a
part paid beforehand, as a pledge; pledge; handsel; a token of what
is to come.
Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest
of the Spirit in our hearts.
2 Cor. i. 22.
And from his coffers
Received the golden earnest of our death.
Shak.
2. (Law) Something of value given by
the buyer to the seller, by way of token or pledge, to bind the
bargain and prove the sale. Kent. Ayliffe.
Benjamin.
Earnest money (Law), money paid as
earnest, to bind a bargain or to ratify and prove a sale.
Syn. -- Earnest, Pledge. These words are
here compared as used in their figurative sense. Earnest is
not so strong as pledge. An earnest, like first fruits,
gives assurance, or at least a high probability, that more is coming
of the same kind; a pledge, like money deposited, affords
security and ground of reliance for the future. Washington gave
earnest of his talent as commander by saving his troops after
Braddock's defeat; his fortitude and that of his soldiers during the
winter at Valley Forge might rightly be considered a pledge of
their ultimate triumph.
