Adjective earnest has 3 senses
- earnest, in earnest, sincere, solemn - characterized by a firm and humorless belief in the validity of your opinions; "both sides were deeply in earnest, even passionate"; "an entirely sincere and cruel tyrant"; "a film with a solemn social message"
Antonym: frivolous (indirect, via serious)
- dear, devout, earnest, heartfelt - earnest; "one's dearest wish"; "devout wishes for their success"; "heartfelt condolences"
Antonym: insincere (indirect, via sincere)
- businesslike, earnest - not distracted by anything unrelated to the goal
Antonym: purposeless (indirect, via purposeful)
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Noun earnest has 1 sense
- earnest - something of value given by one person to another to bind a contract
--1 is a kind of security, surety
--1 has particulars: earnest money
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