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Passion vs Earnest - What's the difference?

passion | earnest |

As a noun passion

is (fervor) passion.

As a proper noun earnest is

, an occasional spelling variant of ernest.

passion

English

Noun

  • Any great, strong, powerful emotion, especially romantic love or hate.
    • We share a passion for books.
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2011 , date=January 16 , author=Saj Chowdhury , title=Sunderland 1 - 1 Newcastle , work=BBC citation , page= , passage=That was partly because of a swirling wind that made precision passing difficult and also a derby atmosphere where the emphasis seemed to be on passion rather than football.}}
  • Fervor, determination.
  • An object of passionate or romantic love or strong romantic interest.
    • It started as a hobby, but now my motorbike collection has become my passion .
  • sexual intercourse, especially when very emotional
    • We shared a night of passion .
  • The suffering of Jesus leading up to and during his crucifixion.
  • A play, musical composition or display meant to commemorate the suffering of Jesus.
  • (obsolete) Suffering or enduring of imposed or inflicted pain; any suffering or distress.
    • a cardiac passion
  • * Wyclif Bible (Rom. viii. 18)
    • the passions of this time
  • (obsolete) The state of being acted upon; subjection to an external agent or influence; a passive condition; opposed to action .
  • * John Locke
    • A body at rest affords us no idea of any active power to move, and, when set is motion, it is rather a passion than an action in it.
  • (obsolete) Capacity of being affected by external agents; susceptibility of impressions from external agents.
  • * Francis Bacon
    • mouldable and not mouldable, scissible and not scissible, and many other passions of matter
  • (obsolete) An innate quality, property, or attribute of a thing.
    • to obtain the knowledge of some passion of the circle. (rfex)
  • (obsolete) Disorder of the mind; madness.
    • (Shakespeare)

    Synonyms

    * ardor, fire in the belly, zeal

    Derived terms

    * passionflower * passion fruit, passionfruit * Passion Sunday * pash * passion pop

    Related terms

    * passionate * passive * passivity * patience * patient

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (obsolete) To suffer pain or sorrow; to experience a passion; to be extremely agitated.
  • * Shakespeare
    • Dumbly she passions , frantically she doteth.
  • To give a passionate character to.
    • (Keats)

    References

    * ----

    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

    * * * *