be in earnest
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In Washington, Reagan Administration officials stressed that the Soviet leader's reform efforts seem to be in earnest, and avoided dashing hopes for better U.S.-Soviet ties.
From Time Magazine Archive
Those imams who still counsel against jihadist terrorism, says Kepel, may be in earnest.
From Time Magazine Archive
Don't you believe me to be in earnest, mother?
From The Parent's Assistant Stories for Children by Edgeworth, Maria
He seems always to be in earnest, and sometimes in haste, for he had much to work.
From Amenities of Literature Consisting of Sketches and Characters of English Literature by Disraeli, Isaac
You surely cannot be in earnest in trying to separate your daughter and myself.
From Cora and The Doctor or Revelations of A Physician's Wife by Leslie, Madeline
