Dictionary.com
definitions
  • synonyms

seriously

[seer-ee-uh s-lee]
See more synonyms for seriously on Thesaurus.com
adverb
  1. in a serious manner: He shook his head seriously.
  2. to an alarmingly grave extent: seriously ill.
  3. with genuine, earnest intent; sincerely: Seriously, kids, we have to get home before dark.
Show More

Origin of seriously

First recorded in 1500–10; serious + -ly
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words

passionately, sincerely, earnestly, vigorously, actively, severely, sorely, badly, very, intensely, acutely, grievously, gravely, down, intently, resolutely, sedately, soberly, solemnly, zealously

Examples from the Web for seriously

Contemporary Examples

Historical Examples

  • Even in antiquity the wiseacres took our royal buffoon too seriously.

    The Dramatic Values in Plautus

    Wilton Wallace Blancke

  • Demarest was seriously disturbed by the situation that had developed.

    Within the Law

    Marvin Dana

  • His lower orders are all food for comedy or farce: he will not treat them seriously.

  • He was seriously injured, but was stated in a London paper of August 21 to be out of danger.

    Handel

    Edward J. Dent

  • He was seriously wounded, and fell into the hands of the enemy.

    Ridgeway

    Scian Dubh

British Dictionary definitions for seriously

seriously

adverb
  1. in a serious manner or to a serious degree
  2. informal extremely or remarkablyseriously tall
Show More
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

Word Origin and History for seriously

adv.

c.1500, from serious + -ly (2). To take (something) seriously is from 1782.

Show More
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper