firmly vs in earnest

firmly

adv

  • In a firm or definite or strong manner. 

  • Securely. 

in earnest

adv

  • With considerable commitment, determination, or effect; significantly. 

  • Having a sincere intent. 

adj

  • Sincere; determined; truthful. 

How often have the words firmly and in earnest occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )