definitions

serious

[ seer-ee-uhs ]
/ ˈsɪər i əs /
||

adjective

noun

that which is of importance, grave, critical, or somber: You have to learn to separate the serious from the frivolous.

Nearby words

serin, serine, seringa, seringapatam, seriocomic, serious, serious-minded, seriously, seriplane, serjeant, serjeant at arms

Origin of serious

1400–50; late Middle English < Latin sērius or Late Latin sēriōsus; see -ous, -ose1

SYNONYMS FOR serious

2 sober, sedate, staid.
3 See earnest1.
5 momentous, grave.

ANTONYMS FOR serious

3, 5 trivial.

Related forms

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for half-serious

British Dictionary definitions for half-serious (1 of 2)

half-serious

adjective

not entirely serious

Derived Forms

halfseriously, adverb

British Dictionary definitions for half-serious (2 of 2)

serious

/ (ˈsɪərɪəs) /

adjective

Derived Forms

seriousness, noun

Word Origin for serious

C15: from Late Latin sēriōsus, from Latin sērius; probably related to Old English swǣr gloomy, Gothic swers esteemed
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medicine definitions for half-serious

serious

[ sîr′ē-əs ]

adj.

Being of such import as to cause anxiety, as of a physical condition.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.