earnest
adjective uk/ˈɜː.nɪst/ us/ˈɝː.nɪst/
认真的;有决心的;郑重其事的;诚挚的
serious and determined, especially too serious and unable to find your own actions funny
He was a very earnest young man. 他是个非常认真的年轻人。
in deadly earnest mainly UK 郑重其事；严肃认真
completely serious
These fanatics are in deadly earnest when they say they want to destroy all forms of government. 这些狂热分子声称要摧毁所有形式的政府时，他们可不是说着玩，是完全当真的。
"Surely she was joking?" "Absolutely not. She was in deadly earnest."
His expression changed and I realised he was in deadly earnest.
She smiled but I knew she was in deadly earnest.
He told me, in deadly earnest, that he knew he was the man for the job.
in earnest 正确地;真正地;完全地
When something begins in earnest, it has already started but is now being done in a serious and complete way.
The election campaign has begun in earnest. 竞选宣传活动真正开始了。
The work begins in earnest at the start of next month.
Building work will start in earnest in the spring.
Production starts in earnest later this year.
Her academic career commenced in earnest in 1989, when she returned to Cambridge.
The convention got underway in earnest on Tuesday night.
be in earnest （说话时）是认真的;是诚挚的
to be speaking honestly
I thought he was joking - I didn't realize he was in earnest. 我还以为他在开玩笑——没想到他是认真的。
When I said I admired your work, I was in earnest.
He laughed as he said it, but I knew he was in earnest.
When she says these things, do you think she's in earnest?
It sounded like a joke but he was in earnest.
She was in earnest about her dreams and aspirations.