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.
In the past, few people would have seriously considered renting as a financial strategy.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 2, 2026
The U.S. military nevertheless took them seriously enough to warrant destroying them, he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
Another factor is the proliferation of larger vehicles — a phenomenon known as “autobesity” — which have bigger blind spots and are more likely to seriously injure a pedestrian or bicyclist.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026
"We take attacks on our critical infrastructure very seriously," he said in a statement, adding there was a "worryingly high frequency" of such episodes.
From Barron's ● Sep. 1, 2026
He didn’t seriously think...He couldn’t possibly...Molly wasn’t dating anyone.
From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny
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.
