in earnest

Nothing has pleased me so much, in a long time, as to see him such a dead-in-earnest, dyed-in-the-wool officer as he is now.

His dangerous, dead-in-earnest game of escape had no happy ending of reunion with his father.

It is always your “dead-in-earnest” man that gets up persecutions.

The dance was in full swing—a vehement, rhythmic, dead-in-earnest ranch dance.