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.
Somebody would always knock your feet out from under you if you took yourself too seriously.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 6, 2026
Paul was determined to write his own rules, and anyone he dated seriously would have to understand that.
From Salon • Jul. 5, 2026
Makers of humanoids, which have humanlike attributes to perform jobs a person might do, say they’re unaware of anyone who has been seriously hurt or killed by one of the robots.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 4, 2026
Dumfries and Galloway Council said it had received a "small number of complaints" which it was taking seriously.
From BBC • Jul. 3, 2026
It was foolish and no one seriously expected any of them to make it, as far as Zeke could tell; they were just using it as an excuse to run really fast into the water.
From "Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody" by Patrick Ness
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.
