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The act of striving; earnest endeavor. [Archaic] Shak.

To make efforts; to use exertions; to endeavor with earnestness; to labor hard. Was for this his ambition strove To equal Cæsar first, and after, Jove Cowley.

Ardent; eager; zealous; earnestly engaged; as, a strong partisan; a strong Whig or Tory. Her mother, ever strong against that match. Shak.

Earnest in endeavors; aiming sedulously; attentive; observant; diligent; -- usually followed by an infinitive or by of; as, be studious to please; studious to find new friends and allies. You that are so studious Of my affairs, wholly neglect your own. Massinger.

Asking earnestly and submissively; entreating; beseeching; supplicating. The rich grow suppliant, and the poor grow proud. Dryden.

To entreat for; to seek by earnest prayer; to ask for earnestly and humbly; as, to supplicate blessings on Christian efforts to spread the gospel.

The act of supplicating; humble and earnest prayer, as in worship.

Containing supplication; humble; earnest.

Ardently desired or longed for; earnestly coveted. [Obs.] Sir H. Wotton.

essive party which was formerly called the Whig, and is now called the Liberal, party; an earnest supporter of exsisting royal and ecclesiastical authority.

All our tragedies are of kings and princes. Jer. Taylor. tragedy is poetry in its deepest earnest; comedy is poetry in unlimited jest. Coleridge.

Not indicating thought or reflection; thoughtless. With earnest eyes, and round unthinking face, He first the snuffbox opened, then the case. Pope. -- Un*think"ing*ly, adv. -- Un*think"ing*ness, n.

To make engaged or earnest; to interest; to engage; to excite ardor or zeal; to enliven. I formerly warmed my head with reading controversial writings. Pope. Bright hopes, that erst bosom warmed. Keble.

A state of lively and excited interest; zeal; ardor; fervor; passion; enthusiasm; earnestness; as, the warmth of love or piety; he replied with much warmth. "Spiritual warmth, and holy fires." Jer. Taylor. That warmth . . . which agrees with Christian zeal. Sprat.

Hence, to struggle; to strive earnestly; to contend. Come, wrestle with thy affections. Shak. We wrestle not against flesh and blood. Eph. vi. 12. Difficulties with which he had himself wrestled. M. Arnold.

in with violence; to writhe; to squeeze hard; to pinch; as, to wring clothes in washing. "Earnestly wringing Waverley's hand." Sir W. Scott. "Wring him by the nose." Shak. [His steed] so sweat that men might him wring. Chaucer. The king began to find where his shoe did wring him. Bacon. The priest shall bring it [a dov…

One who is zealous; one who engages warmly in any cause, and pursues his object with earnestness and ardor; especially, one who is overzealous, or carried away by his zeal; one absorbed in devotion to anything; an enthusiast; a fanatical partisan. Zealots for the one [tradition] were in hostile array against zealots fo…