What is "in earnest"

Earnest \Ear"nest\ ([~e]r"n[e^]st), n. [AS. eornost, eornest; akin to OHG. ernust, G. ernst; cf. Icel. orrosta battle, perh. akin to Gr. 'orny`nai 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.

a. sincere; determined; truthful. adv. seriously; sincerely, in a significant manner; with considerable commitment, determination, or effect.

1. adj. 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" [syn: earnest, in earnest(p), sincere, solemn]

2. adv. in a serious manner; "talking earnestly with his son"; "she started studying snakes in earnest"; "a play dealing seriously with the question of divorce" [syn: seriously, earnestly]