in earnest

idiom

1

: in an earnest or serious way

The search began in earnest when the police arrived.

After light showers during the day, it began to rain in earnest in the evening.

It's hard to tell if he's making this proposal in earnest.

2

: not fooling : serious and sincere

We thought he was joking at first, but then we realized that he was in earnest.

Examples of in earnest in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Once Hart rolls into the bar while curtain calls are happening down the block, the badmouthing begins in earnest and everything becomes marinated in bourbon and bitterness. —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 15 Oct. 2025

Fleming said negotiations for the financing began in earnest this past summer. —Hayley Cuccinello, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2025

He had been introduced to the practice by Love, a fellow writer and spiritual seeker, but didn’t pursue it in earnest until after Love’s death, when its concepts of nonattachment and impermanence provided solace. —Maggie Doherty, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025

Her tears began to flow in earnest. —Suzette Hackney, USA Today, 13 Oct. 2025

Rhymes for in earnest

• internist
• sternest