Earnest vs Serious - What's the difference?
earnest | serious |
Gravity; serious purpose; earnestness.
* Sir Philip Sidney
* Shakespeare
Seriousness; reality; actuality (as opposed to jesting or feigned appearance); fixed determination; eagerness; intentness.
To be serious with; use in earnest.
* 1602 , Pastor Fido:
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.
Strenuous; diligent.
Serious; weighty; of a serious, weighty, or important nature; not trifling or feigned; important.
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:
Without humor or expression of happiness; grave in manner or disposition; earnest; thoughtful; solemn.
Important; weighty; not trifling; leaving no room for play; needing great attention; critical.
Really intending what is said; being in earnest; not jesting or deceiving; meaningful.
As adjectives the difference between earnest and serious
is that earnest is serious in speech or action; eager; urgent; importunate; pressing; instant while serious is without humor or expression of happiness; grave in manner or disposition; earnest; thoughtful; solemn.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
(-)- Take heed that this jest do not one day turn to earnest .
- given in earnest what I begged in jest
Derived terms
* earnestful * in earnestVerb
(en verb)- 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)- an earnest disposition
- earnest efforts
Derived terms
* (l) * (l)Etymology 3
Of uncertain origin; apparently related to (erres). Compare also (l).Noun
(en noun)- 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 moneyAnagrams
* * * *serious
English
Adjective
(en-adj)- It was a surprise to see the captain, who had always seemed so serious , laugh so heartily.
- This is a serious problem. We'll need our best experts.
- After all these years, we're finally getting serious attention.