Both Uses of
earnest
in
The Two Towers
- 'Receive it, lord!' he said: 'in earnest of other things that shall be given back.†
Chpt 3.11 *in earnest = serious; or in a serious manner
- Sam had been giving earnest thought to food as they marched.†
Chpt 4.4earnest = sincere or serious
Definitions:
-
(1)
(earnest) characterized by sincere belief
or:
intensely or excessively serious or determined -
(2)
(meaning too rare to warrant focus) meaning too rare to warrant focus:
Earnest can also be used as a name (variant spelling of Ernest), or to signify the seriousness of a pledge made (as when earnest money is included with an offer to purchase a home).