1. (a.) Sincere; purposeful; ardent\ in the pursuit of an object; eager to obtain or do; zealous with sincerity; with hearty endeavor; heartfelt; fervent; hearty; -- used in a good sense; as, earnest prayers.

2. (n.) Seriousness; reality; fixed determination; eagerness; intentness.

3. (a.) Intent; fixed closely; as, earnest attention.

4. (a.) Serious; important.

5. (v. t.) To use in earnest.

6. (n.) Something given, or a part paid beforehand, as a pledge; pledge; handsel; a token of what is to come.

7. (n.) Something of value given by the buyer to the seller, by way of token or pledge, to bind the bargain and prove the sale.

abandoned acquitment acquittal acquittance advertent afire agog alert all ears all eyes amortization amortizement ardent assiduous attention attentive aware awe-inspiring bail binder bond bound bound and determined burning busy careful cash cash payment clearance committed concentrated conscientious conscious debt service decided decisive decorous dedicated definite defrayal defrayment demure deposit determined devoted devout diligent disbursal discharge doling out down payment eager earnest money enthusiasm enthusiastic escrow faithful fatal fateful fervent fervid fiery finical finicking finicky firm flaming formal formidable frowning gage grave grim grim-faced grim-visaged guarantee handsel hard-working hearty heated heavy heedful hire purchase hire purchase plan hock hostage hot hot-blooded impassioned imposing in earnest industrious installment installment plan intense intent intent on intentive intentness interest interest payment keen liquidation long-faced loyal mainprise meticulous mindful monthly payments never-never nice niggling no-nonsense observant observing obstinate on fire on the ball on the job open-eared open-eyed openmouthed passionate pawn paying paying off paying out paying up payment payment in kind payoff perfervid perseverant persevering persistent pignus pledge portentous prepayment pressing purposeful quarterly payments quittance recognizance red-hot regardful regular payments relentless remittance replevin replevy resolute resolved retirement satisfaction security sedate sedulous serious seriousness settlement sincere single-minded sinking-fund payment sober sober-minded sobersided solemn somber spirited spot cash staid steady stone-faced straight-faced surety tenacious thoughtful token token payment undertaking unsmiling vadimonium vadium vehement warm warmth warrant watchful weekly payments weighty white-hot wholehearted zeal zealous