Both Uses of
earnest
in
Resistance by Nielsen
- But the earnestness of her expression deserved an honest response.†
p. 162.7earnestness = sincerity or seriousness
- She looked at Esther again, too long, too earnestly.†
p. 167.9 *earnestly = sincerely or seriously
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).