serious
Americanadjective
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of, showing, or characterized by deep thought.
-
of grave or somber disposition, character, or manner.
a serious occasion; a serious man.
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being in earnest; sincere; not trifling.
His interest was serious.
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requiring thought, concentration, or application.
serious reading; a serious task.
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weighty or important.
a serious book; Marriage is a serious matter.
- Antonyms:
- trivial
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giving cause for apprehension; critical.
The plan has one serious flaw.
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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
adjective
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grave in nature or disposition; thoughtful
a serious person
-
marked by deep feeling; in earnest; sincere
is he serious or joking?
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concerned with important matters
a serious conversation
-
requiring effort or concentration
a serious book
-
giving rise to fear or anxiety; critical
a serious illness
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informal worthy of regard because of substantial quantity or quality
serious money
serious wine
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informal extreme or remarkable
a serious haircut
Related Words
See earnest 1.
Other Word Forms
- half-serious adjective
- half-seriously adverb
- nonserious adjective
- nonseriously adverb
- overserious adjective
- overseriously adverb
- quasi-serious adjective
- quasi-seriously adverb
- seriousness noun
- superserious adjective
- superseriously adverb
- ultraserious adjective
- ultraseriously adverb
- unserious adjective
- unseriously adverb
Etymology
Origin of serious
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Middle French serieux and Latin sērius “grave, earnest” or Late Latin sēriōsus; -ous, -ose 1
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.
The mother of two grown children has managed to unite her party without facing any serious challenges.
From Barron's
A total of five people were taken to a hospital, one in serious condition, the Los Angeles Fire Department confirmed earlier this week.
From Los Angeles Times
The disclosure sparked an uproar in France; the foreign minister called for an investigation, saying “the facts are extremely serious.”
He was viewed as a possible intermediary if serious negotiations were ever started.
From BBC
The FAA has said its goal is zero serious close calls and has pushed to address those risks in recent years.
Definitions 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.
