After years of working in his field, he decided to make an earnest effort towards improving the community.
synonyms
serioussinceredevout
word origin — Middle English, from the Old English 'earnest,' meaning 'serious' or 'seriousness.'
earnest, reward, clarity, cheer, fleece: meanings and examples
Learn these 5 words from SAT Vocabulary Level 1 set 136. Each entry includes a definition, example sentence, pronunciation, and synonyms. Use the interactive cards above to practice them.
earnest · adjective/ˈɜrnəst/
serious and sincere in intention or effort
After years of working in his field, he decided to make an earnest effort towards improving the community.
Synonyms: serious, sincere, devout
Origin: Middle English, from the Old English 'earnest,' meaning 'serious' or 'seriousness.'
reward · noun/rɪˈwɔrd/
something given in recognition of service, effort, or achievement
The employee received a generous reward for her outstanding performance during the year.
Synonyms: prize, award, recompense
Origin: Middle English, from Old French 'recompenser', from Latin 'recompensare' (re- + compensare 'to compensate')
clarity · noun/ˈklær.ɪ.ti/
the quality of being clear and easy to understand
The clarity of her explanation made the complex topic easy to understand.
Synonyms: clearness, lucidity
Origin: from Latin 'claritas', meaning 'brightness, clearness'
cheer · noun/tʃɪr/
a shout of joy or encouragement
The crowd erupted in cheer as the home team scored the winning goal.
Synonyms: huzzah, shout, applause
Origin: Middle English 'chere' meaning face or countenance, from Old French 'chiere' meaning face or expression.
fleece · noun/fliːs/
a soft fabric with a texture resembling sheep's wool
She wrapped herself in a warm fleece blanket while watching the movie on a chilly evening.
Synonyms: fabric, material, textile
Origin: Middle English 'fleece', from Old French 'flas', from Latin 'follis' meaning 'bladder' or 'bag', related to the wool covering of sheep.