ear|nest /ɜː r n I st/
1 PHRASE If something is done or happens in earnest , it happens to a much greater extent and more seriously than before. □ Campaigning will begin in earnest tomorrow.
2 ADJ Earnest people are very serious and sincere in what they say or do, because they think that their actions and beliefs are important. □ Ella was a pious, earnest woman. ● ear|nest|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ He was admired by many for his earnestness.
3 PHRASE If you are in earnest , you are sincere in what you are doing and saying. □ No one could tell whether he was in earnest or in jest.
ear|nest|ly /ɜː r n I stli/
1 ADV [ADV with v] If you say something earnestly , you say it very seriously, often because you believe that it is important or you are trying to persuade someone else to believe it. □ 'Did you?' she asked earnestly.
2 ADV [usu ADV with v, oft ADV adj] If you do something earnestly , you do it in a thorough and serious way, intending to succeed. □ She always listened earnestly as if this might help her to understand.
3 ADV [ADV before v] If you earnestly hope or wish for something, you hope or wish strongly and sincerely for it. □ I earnestly hope what I learned will serve me well in my new job.
earn|ings ◆◇◇ /ɜː r n I ŋz/ N‑PLURAL Your earnings are the sums of money that you earn by working. □ Average weekly earnings rose by 1.5% in July. SYNONYMS earnings NOUN
income: Over a third of their income comes from comedy shows.
pay: …their complaints about their pay and conditions.
wages: His wages have gone up.
salary: The lawyer was paid a huge salary.
takings: The pub said that their takings were fifteen to twenty thousand pounds a week.
ea rnings-rela ted ADJ [usu ADJ n] An earnings-related payment or benefit provides higher or lower payments according to the amount a person was earning while working. [BRIT ]
ear|phone / I ə r foʊn/ (earphones ) N‑COUNT [usu pl] Earphones are a small piece of equipment which you wear over or inside your ears so that you can listen to music, the radio, or your phone without anyone else hearing.
ear|piece / I ə r piːs/ (earpieces ) N‑COUNT The earpiece of a telephone receiver, hearing aid, or other device is the part that you hold up to your ear or put into your ear.
ear|plug / I ə r plʌg/ (earplugs ) also ear plug N‑COUNT [usu pl] Earplugs are small pieces of a soft material which you put into your ears to keep out noise, water, or cold air.
ear|ring / I ə r I ŋ/ (earrings ) N‑COUNT Earrings are pieces of jewellery which you attach to your ears.
ear|shot / I ə r ʃɒt/ PHRASE If you are within earshot of someone or something, you are close enough to be able to hear them. If you are out of earshot , you are too far away to hear them. □ [+ of ] It is within earshot of a main road. □ Mark was out of earshot, walking ahead of them.
ea r-splitting ADJ [usu ADJ n] An ear-splitting noise is very loud. □ …ear-splitting screams.
earth ◆◆◇ /ɜː r θ/
1 N‑PROPER Earth or the Earth is the planet on which we live. People usually say Earth when they are referring to the planet as part of the universe, and the Earth when they are talking about the planet as the place where we live. □ The space shuttle returned safely to Earth. □ …a fault in the Earth's crust.
2 N‑SING The earth is the land surface on which we live and move about. □ The earth shook and the walls of neighbouring houses fell around them.
3 N‑UNCOUNT Earth is the substance on the land surface of the earth, for example clay or sand, in which plants grow. □ The road winds for miles through parched earth, scrub and cactus.
4 N‑SING The earth in an electric plug or piece of electrical equipment is the wire through which electricity can pass into the ground, which makes the equipment safe if something goes wrong with it. [BRIT ] □ The earth wire was not connected. in AM, use ground ● earthed ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] □ Light fittings with metal parts should always be earthed.
5 → see also down-to-earth
6 PHRASE On earth is used for emphasis in questions that begin with words such as 'how', 'why', 'what', or 'where'. It is often used to suggest that there is no obvious or easy answer to the question being asked. [EMPHASIS ] □ How on earth did that happen? □ What on earth had Luke done?
7 PHRASE [with neg] On earth is used for emphasis after some negative noun groups, for example 'no reason'. [EMPHASIS ] □ There was no reason on earth why she couldn't have moved in with us. □ There is no feeling on earth like winning for the first time.
8 PHRASE On earth is used for emphasis after a noun group that contains a superlative adjective. [EMPHASIS ] □ He wanted to be the fastest man on earth.
9 PHRASE If you come down to earth or back to earth , you have to face the reality of everyday life after a period of great excitement. □ When he came down to earth after his win he admitted: 'It was an amazing feeling'.
10 PHRASE If you say that something cost the earth or that you paid the earth for it, you are emphasizing that it cost a very large amount of money. [INFORMAL , EMPHASIS ] □ It must have cost the earth.
11 hell on earth → see hell SYNONYMS earth NOUN
1
globe: 70% of our globe's surface is water.