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

Back on board, Leila and I stood out on deck, soaking in the scenery—and the rain that had started coming down in earnest. —Becky Cooper, Travel + Leisure, 12 Aug. 2025

But there have been things to lament all season, even before this latest slide began in earnest a couple of weeks ago. —Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Aug. 2025

Over two years since the Camp Nou renovations began in earnest, the first thing to highlight is scale. —Henry Flynn, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2025

There is now less than a week to go before Aston Villa away, where Newcastle’s season begins in earnest. —George Caulkin, New York Times, 10 Aug. 2025

Rhymes for in earnest

• internist
• sternest