serious

[ seer-ee-uhs ]

/ ˈsɪər i əs /

adjective

of, showing, or characterized by deep thought.

of grave or somber disposition, character, or manner: a serious occasion; a serious man.

being in earnest; sincere; not trifling: His interest was serious.

requiring thought, concentration, or application: serious reading; a serious task.

weighty or important: a serious book; Marriage is a serious matter.

giving cause for apprehension; critical: The plan has one serious flaw.

Medicine/Medical. (of a patient's condition) having unstable or otherwise abnormal vital signs and other unfavorable indicators, as loss of appetite and poor mobility: patient is acutely ill.

noun

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

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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.

OTHER WORDS FROM serious

se·ri·ous·ness, nounhalf-se·ri·ous, adjectivehalf-se·ri·ous·ly, adverbhalf-se·ri·ous·ness, noun

non·se·ri·ous, adjectivenon·se·ri·ous·ly, adverbnon·se·ri·ous·ness, nouno·ver·se·ri·ous, adjectiveo·ver·se·ri·ous·ly, adverbo·ver·se·ri·ous·ness, nounqua·si-se·ri·ous, adjectivequa·si-se·ri·ous·ly, adverbsu·per·se·ri·ous, adjectivesu·per·se·ri·ous·ly, adverbsu·per·se·ri·ous·ness, nounul·tra·se·ri·ous, adjectiveul·tra·se·ri·ous·ly, adverbul·tra·se·ri·ous·ness, nounun·se·ri·ous, adjectiveun·se·ri·ous·ly, adverbun·se·ri·ous·ness, noun

Words nearby serious

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for half-serious

Detroiters, now erecting a Robocop statue as a half-joking, half-serious morale boost, may want to consider bronzing Mulally next.
The CEO Hail Mary: A Scorecard on Corporate Change Agents|Nick Summers|March 1, 2011|DAILY BEAST
The half-whimsical, half-serious smile returned to his eyes.
A Breath of Prairie and other stories|Will Lillibridge
"I have no titles to offer my wife," he replied, in a half-sportive, half-serious tone.
The Ball at Sceaux|Honore de Balzac
Often in a half-jocular, half-serious tone they say that they had reason to be grateful to the Allies.
Russia|Donald Mackenzie Wallace

One amusing feature of the affair was the half-serious and half-jocular manner of Aaron.
Gorillas & Chimpanzees|R. L. Garner
Half-grinning, half-serious, Jock stuck his thumbs in the armholes of his waistcoat, and began.
Personality Plus|Edna Ferber

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

half-serious

adjective

not entirely serious

Derived forms of half-serious

halfseriously, adverb

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

serious

/ (ˈsɪərɪəs) /

adjective

grave in nature or disposition; thoughtfula serious person

marked by deep feeling; in earnest; sincereis he serious or joking?

concerned with important mattersa serious conversation

requiring effort or concentrationa serious book

giving rise to fear or anxiety; criticala serious illness

informal worthy of regard because of substantial quantity or qualityserious money; serious wine

informal extreme or remarkablea serious haircut

Derived forms of serious

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

Medical definitions for half-serious

serious

[ sîr′ē-əs ]

adj.

Being of such import as to cause anxiety, as of a physical condition.