/ˈɜ:nɪst ||; ˈɝnɪst/adj serious or determined 认真的；坚决的:
He's such an earnest young man -- he never makes a joke. 这小伙子很正经，从来不跟人家开玩笑。They were having a very earnest discussion. 他们进行了非常认真的讨论。 ➔earnestly adv in earnest 1 serious and sincere about what you are going to do 认真而诚挚: He was in earnest about wanting to leave university. 他确实不想念大学了。
2 happening more seriously or with more force than before （做起来）比以前起劲: After two weeks work began in earnest on the project. 两个星期以后，工程认真干了起来。