seriously
Americanadverb
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in a serious manner.
He shook his head seriously.
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to an alarmingly grave extent.
seriously ill.
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with genuine, earnest intent; sincerely.
Seriously, kids, we have to get home before dark.
adverb
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in a serious manner or to a serious degree
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informal extremely or remarkably
seriously tall
Etymology
Origin of seriously
Explanation
When you do something seriously, you do it earnestly or thoughtfully. If you seriously consider walking the Appalachian Trail, it means that you put real effort and thought into contemplating such a trip. If your boss speaks seriously to you, you know she means what she's saying, and if you think seriously about what a fortune teller told you, it means that you really consider what she said your future might bring. You can also use seriously to mean significantly, or to a worrying degree, like being seriously ill with the flu. Informally, seriously also means very or truly, like when you are seriously hungry.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
So people are going out and they’re taking the assignment very, very seriously.
From Salon ● Nov. 2, 2026
Beyond the frustration of sleepless nights, the condition can seriously disrupt daily life and increase the likelihood of developing anxiety or depression.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 2, 2026
Mbappe, Real and La Liga later all said sorry for his remarks, and China's foreign ministry said it took the player's apology "seriously".
From Barron's ● Oct. 31, 2026
Megaspeed told the paper its current leadership took the allegations seriously and had appointed external legal advisers to conduct an internal investigation.
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026
The professors took Leah’s opinion seriously and asked the spirits to identify any “resistors” by rapping.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
