DICT.TW Dictionary Taiwan

 in earnest
 認真地,一本正經地

 Ear·nest n.  Seriousness; reality; fixed determination; eagerness; intentness.
    Take heed that this jest do not one day turn to earnest.   --Sir P. Sidney.
    And given in earnest what I begged in jest.   --Shak.
 In earnest, serious; seriously; not in jest; earnestly.

 in earnest
      adj : characterized by a firm and humorless belief in the validity
            of your opinions; "both sides were deeply in earnest,
            even passionate"; "an entirely sincere and cruel
            tyrant"; "a film with a solemn social message" [syn: earnest,
             in earnest(p), sincere, solemn]
      adv : in a serious manner; "talking earnestly with his son"; "she
            started studying snakes in earnest"; "a play dealing
            seriously with the question of divorce" [syn: seriously,
             earnestly]