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Earnest vs Resolute - What's the difference?

earnest | resolute | Related terms |

As adjectives the difference between earnest and resolute

is that earnest is serious in speech or action; eager; urgent; importunate; pressing; instant while resolute is firm, unyielding, determined.

As a noun earnest

is gravity; serious purpose; earnestness.

As a verb earnest

is to be serious with; use in earnest.

As a proper noun Earnest

is a given name derived from Germanic, an occasional spelling variant of Ernest.

earnest

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) ernest, eornest, from (etyl) eornest, eornost, .

Noun

(-)
  • Gravity; serious purpose; earnestness.
  • * Sir Philip Sidney
    • Take heed that this jest do not one day turn to earnest .
  • * Shakespeare
    • given in earnest what I begged in jest
  • Seriousness; reality; actuality (as opposed to jesting or feigned appearance); fixed determination; eagerness; intentness.
    • Derived terms
    * earnestful * in earnest

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To be serious with; use in earnest.
  • * 1602 , Pastor Fido:
    • Let's prove among ourselves our armes in jest, That when we come to earnest them with men, We may them better use.

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) eornest, from (etyl) .

    Adjective

    (en-adj)
  • Serious in speech or action; eager; urgent; importunate; pressing; instant.
  • Ardent in the pursuit of an object; eager to obtain or do; zealous with sincerity; with hearty endeavour; heartfelt; fervent; hearty; — used in a good sense; as, earnest prayers .
  • Intent; fixed closely; as, earnest attention .
  • Possessing or characterised by seriousness; strongly bent; intent.
    • an earnest disposition
  • Strenuous; diligent.
    • earnest efforts
  • Serious; weighty; of a serious, weighty, or important nature; not trifling or feigned; important.
    • Derived terms
    * (l) * (l)

    Etymology 3

    Of uncertain origin; apparently related to (erres). Compare also (l).

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A sum of money paid in advance as a deposit; hence, a pledge, a guarantee, an indication of something to come.
  • * 1990 , (Peter Hopkirk), The Great Game , Folio Society 2010, p. 365:
    • But if all this was viewed by Gladstone and the Cabinet as an earnest of St Petersburg's future good intentions in Central Asia, then disillusionment was soon to follow.

    See also

    * Earnest * earnest money

    Anagrams

    * * * *

    resolute

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Firm, unyielding, determined.
    • She was resolute in her determination to resist his romantic advances.
    He was resolute in his decision to stay.
  • * Shakespeare
    • Edward is at hand, / Ready to fight; therefore be resolute .
  • * ’ (poem):
    • If the Coward Bumble Bee / In his chimney corner stay, / I, must resoluter be!
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2011 , date=April 10 , author=Alistair Magowan , title=Aston Villa 1 - 0 Newcastle , work=BBC Sport citation , page= , passage=Villa had plenty of opportunities to make the game safe after a shaky start and despite not reaching any great heights, they were resolute enough to take control of the game in the second half. }}
  • (obsolete) Convinced; satisfied; sure.

    • Usage notes

    * The one-word comparative form resoluter and superlative form resolutest are both well attested, though not as common as the two-word forms “more resolute” and “most resolute”.

    Synonyms

    * See also

    Antonyms

    * irresolute

    Related terms

    * resolutely * resolution * resoluteness * resolve