different between earnest vs blithe
earnest
English
Pronunciation
- (General American) IPA(key): /??n?st/
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /???n?st/
- Homophone: Ernest
Etymology 1
From Middle English ernest, eornest, from Old English eornest, eornost, eornust (“earnestness, zeal, seriousness, battle”), from Proto-Germanic *ernustuz (“earnest, strength, solidity, struggle, fight”), a derivative of Proto-Germanic *arniz (“efficient, capable, diligent, sure”), from Proto-Indo-European *er- (“to cause to move, arouse, increase”). Cognate with West Frisian earnst (“earnest, seriousness”), Dutch ernst (“seriousness, gravity, earnest”), German Ernst (“seriousness, earnestness, zeal, vigour”), Icelandic ern (“brisk, vigorous”), Gothic ???????????????????????? (arniba, “secure, certain, sure”).
The adjective is from Middle English eornest, from Old English eornoste (“earnest, zealous, serious”), from the noun. Cognate with North Frisian ernste (“earnest”), Middle Low German ernest, ernst (“serious, earnest”), German ernst (“serious, earnest”).
Noun
earnest (uncountable)
- Gravity; serious purpose; earnestness.
- 1914, February 13, The Times, Obituary: Canon Augustus Jessopp
- He wrote well in a forcible, colloquial style, with the air of being tremendously in earnest, and full of knowledge which overflowed his pages, tricked out with somewhat boisterous illustrations.
- c. 1575-a 1586, Sir Philip Sidney, The Countess of Pembroke's Arcadia
- Take heed that this jest do not one day turn to earnest.
- c. 1592, William Shakespeare, Richard III: Act 5, Scene 1
- That high All-Seer which I dallied with
- Hath turn'd my feigned prayer on my head
- And given in earnest what I begg'd in jest.
- 1914, February 13, The Times, Obituary: Canon Augustus Jessopp
- Seriousness; reality; actuality (as opposed to joking or pretence)
Derived terms
- earnestful
- in earnest
Translations
Verb
earnest (third-person singular simple present earnests, present participle earnesting, simple past and past participle earnested)
- (transitive) To be serious with; use in earnest.
- 1602, Pastor Fido:
- Let's prove among ourselves our armes in jest, That when we come to earnest them with men, We may them better use.
- 1602, Pastor Fido:
Adjective
earnest (comparative earnester or more earnest, superlative earnestest or most earnest)
- (said of an action or an utterance) Serious or honest
- (with a positive sense) Focused in the pursuit of an objective; eager to obtain or do.
- Intent; focused; showing a lot of concentration.
- (said of a person or a person's character) Possessing or characterised by seriousness.
- Strenuous; diligent.
- Serious; weighty; of a serious, weighty, or important nature; important.
Derived terms
- earnestly
- earnestness
- in earnest
Translations
Etymology 2
Of uncertain origin; apparently related to erres. Compare also arles.
Noun
earnest (plural earnests)
- A sum of money paid in advance as a deposit; hence, a pledge, a guarantee, an indication of something to come.
- Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit.
- 1990, Peter Hopkirk, The Great Game, Folio Society 2010, p. 365:
- But if all this was viewed by Gladstone and the Cabinet as an earnest of St Petersburg's future good intentions in Central Asia, then disillusionment was soon to follow.
Translations
See also
- Earnest
- earnest money
Etymology 3
earn +? -est
Verb
earnest
- (archaic) second-person singular simple present form of earn
Anagrams
- Eastern, Saetern, Tareens, eastern, estrane, nearest, renates, sterane
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blithe
English
Etymology
From Middle English blithe (“glad, happy, joyful; causing joy, joyous; gentle, mild; gracious, merciful; bright, shining; beautiful, fair”) [and other forms], from Old English bl?þe (“glad, happy, joyful; gentle, mild”), from Proto-West Germanic *bl?þ?, from Proto-Germanic *bl?þiz (“friendly; gentle, mild; pleasing”), from Proto-Indo-European *b?l?- (“fine; light; pleasant”), from Proto-Indo-European *b?el- (“shiny; white”). Doublet of bliss.
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation, General American) IPA(key): /bla?ð/, /bla??/
- Rhymes: -a?ð, -a??
Adjective
blithe (comparative blither, superlative blithest)
- Casually careless or indifferent; showing a lack of concern.
- (chiefly Scotland, elsewhere dated or literary) Cheerful, happy.
Derived terms
Related terms
- bliss
Translations
References
Further reading
- blithe (disambiguation) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
Anagrams
- thible
Scots
Etymology
From Middle English blithe, from Old English bl?þe, from Proto-West Germanic *bl?þ?, from Proto-Germanic *bl?þiz. Cognate with Danish blid, Dutch blij, Icelandic blíður. Compare bliss.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /bla?ð/
- Rhymes: -a?ð
Adjective
blithe (comparative blither, superlative blithest)
- Happy
blithe From the web:
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- blithe meaning
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- blithesome meaning
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