Earnest vs Sincerely - What's the difference?
earnest | sincerely |
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:
In a sincere or earnest manner; honestly.
(US) A conventional formula for ending a letter, used when the salutation addresses the person for whom the letter is intended by his or her name.
:: Sincerely,
:: Fred
As a noun earnest
is gravity; serious purpose; earnestness.As a verb earnest
is to be serious with; use in earnest.As an adjective earnest
is serious in speech or action; eager; urgent; importunate; pressing; instant.As a proper noun Earnest
is a given name derived from Germanic, an occasional spelling variant of Ernest.As an adverb sincerely is
in a sincere or earnest manner; honestly.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
* * * *sincerely
English
Adverb
(head)- I sincerely hope they make it home safely.
- Please consider it carefully and let me know what you decide.