serious

adjective

se·​ri·​ous ˈsir-ē-əs 

1

: thoughtful or subdued in appearance or manner : sober

a quiet, serious girl

2

a

: requiring much thought or work

serious study

b

: of or relating to a matter of importance

a serious play

3

a

: not joking or trifling : being in earnest

a serious question

b

archaic : pious

c

: deeply interested : devoted

a serious musician

4

a

: not easily answered or solved

serious objections

b

: having important or dangerous possible consequences

a serious injury

5

: excessive or impressive in quality, quantity, extent, or degree

serious stereo equipment

making serious money

serious drinking

seriousness noun

Synonyms

• earnest
• grave
• humorless
• no-nonsense
• po-faced [British]
• sedate
• severe
• sober
• sobersided
• solemn
• staid
• uncomic
• unsmiling
• weighty

Choose the Right Synonym for serious

serious, grave, solemn, sedate, staid, sober, earnest mean not light or frivolous.

serious implies a concern for what really matters.

a serious play about social injustice

grave implies both seriousness and dignity in expression or attitude.

read the proclamation in a grave voice

solemn suggests an impressive gravity utterly free from levity.

a sad and solemn occasion

sedate implies a composed and decorous seriousness.

remained sedate amid the commotion

staid suggests a settled, accustomed sedateness and prim self-restraint.

a quiet and staid community

sober stresses seriousness of purpose and absence of levity or frivolity.

a sober look at the state of our schools

earnest suggests sincerity or often zealousness of purpose.

an earnest reformer

Examples of serious in a Sentence

“You sound terrible.” “It's just a bad cold. Nothing serious.”

For my brother, not going to college was a serious mistake.

Crime is a serious problem in this neighborhood.

The team is a serious contender for the championship.

If you want to quit smoking, you have to make a serious effort.

They had a serious conversation about their relationship.

a serious novel about modern life

The story raises serious questions about our system of justice.

Dog shows are a serious business.

She is a serious cyclist who rides 200 miles each week.

Recent Examples on the Web

Tesla has staked its financial future on a pivot to autonomous robotaxis, a risky pursuit facing serious regulatory hurdles. —Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 6 Nov. 2024

James told jurors Velazquez-Diaz wanted a serious relationship with Lorenzo-Olivera, but they were broken up at the time. —Ron Wood, arkansasonline.com, 6 Nov. 2024

But Google’s latest update is a surprise and will leave users and their phones at serious risk. —Zak Doffman, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024

In infants, trouble feeding can also signal a more serious viral infection. —Alyssa Hui-Anderson, Verywell Health, 5 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English seryows, from Anglo-French or Late Latin; Anglo-French serious, from Late Latin seriosus, alteration of Latin serius weighty, serious; probably akin to Old English swǣr heavy, sad

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing serious

• can't be serious
• serious-minded

Kids Definition

serious

adjective

se·​ri·​ous ˈsir-ē-əs 

1

: thoughtful or quiet in appearance or manner

2

a

: requiring much thought or work

serious study

b

: of or relating to a matter of importance

a serious novel

3

: not joking or funny

4

: having important or dangerous possible consequences

a serious injury

seriously adverb

seriousness noun

Medical Definition

serious

adjective

se·​ri·​ous ˈsir-ē-əs 

: having important or dangerous possible consequences

a serious injury