half-serious

British  

adjective

1. not entirely serious

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Other Word Forms

• halfseriously adverb

Example Sentences

As the unfiltered Linda, Ms. Gangel might almost have been cast for her Hepburnesque, chisel-sharp cheekbones, but she brings wry humor to Linda’s half-serious, or mostly serious, critiques of the Seton ethos.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 19, 2026

And so, while the idea for the event started with a half-serious tweet earlier this year, it quickly won the backing of seven universities across Australia and New Zealand.

From BBC • Sep. 21, 2023

But it has inspired the kind of feverish, half-serious, half-joking discourse online that no marketing can buy, with memes, jokes, bets and Highlander references galore every time either film drops a new advertisement.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 27, 2023

Still, he often talks of retiring from movies, a pledge he will admit is only half-serious.

From Washington Post • Sep. 27, 2018

“I never realized how short you are,” he said, and the half-amused, half-serious black eyes she knew so well looked down at her from his wrinkled face.

From "When the Sea Turned to Silver" by Grace Lin