different between earnest vs lusty

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)

1. 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.

2. 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)

1. (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.

Adjective

earnest (comparative earnester or more earnest, superlative earnestest or most earnest)

1. (said of an action or an utterance) Serious or honest
2. (with a positive sense) Focused in the pursuit of an objective; eager to obtain or do.

3. Intent; focused; showing a lot of concentration.

4. (said of a person or a person's character) Possessing or characterised by seriousness.

5. Strenuous; diligent.

6. 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)

1. 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

1. (archaic) second-person singular simple present form of earn

Anagrams

• Eastern, Saetern, Tareens, eastern, estrane, nearest, renates, sterane

English

Alternative forms

• lustie (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English lusty (“mirthful, pleasant, delicious, delightful”), equivalent to lust +? -y. Compare Saterland Frisian lustich (“amusing”),West Frisian lustich (“amusing, funny”), Dutch lustig (“cheerful”), German lustig (“amusing”), Danish lystig (“merry”), Swedish lustig (“funny”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /l?sti/
• Rhymes: -?sti

Adjective

lusty (comparative lustier, superlative lustiest)

1. Exhibiting lust (in the obsolete sense meaning "vigor"); strong, healthy, robust; vigorous; full of sap or vitality.
2. Hearty, merry, gleesome, enthusiastic, lively, stirring.
3. (obsolete or informal) Given to experiencing lust; enjoying physical sensations; lustful.
4. (obsolete) Beautiful; handsome; pleasant.

   • So lovedst thou the lusty Hyacinct;
     So lovedst thou the faire ?oronis deare.

5. (obsolete) Of large size; big.

   • I thought to have embarked in the evening, but, for fear of pirates plying near the coast, I durst not trust our small vessel, and stayed till Monday following, when two or three lusty vessels were to depart.

   1. (obsolete, rare) With child.

Derived terms

• lustihead
• lustihood
• lustily
• lustiness

See also

• lustful
• lustuous

References

• lusty in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• “lusty”, in Merriam–Webster Online Dictionary, (Please provide a date or year).

Middle English

Alternative forms

• lusti

Etymology

From lust +? -y, though note Old Norse lostigr.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?lusti?/

Adjective

lusty

1. pleasant, delightful
2. eager, happy
3. fine, good
4. good-quality, useful
5. life-giving
6. lustful

Descendants

• English: lusty

References

• “lust?, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-03-29.