serious
Americanadjective
-
of, showing, or characterized by deep thought.
-
of grave or somber disposition, character, or manner.
a serious occasion; a serious man.
-
being in earnest; sincere; not trifling.
His interest was serious.
-
requiring thought, concentration, or application.
serious reading; a serious task.
-
weighty or important.
a serious book; Marriage is a serious matter.
- Antonyms:
- trivial
-
giving cause for apprehension; critical.
The plan has one serious flaw.
-
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
-
grave in nature or disposition; thoughtful
a serious person
-
marked by deep feeling; in earnest; sincere
is he serious or joking?
-
concerned with important matters
a serious conversation
-
requiring effort or concentration
a serious book
-
giving rise to fear or anxiety; critical
a serious illness
-
informal worthy of regard because of substantial quantity or quality
serious money
serious wine
-
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.
Thousands of flights have been grounded to and from the Middle East, in one of the most serious disruptions to global travel since the Covid-19 pandemic.
From BBC
International reactions to conflict have been mixed, with Pope Leo XIV urging both sides to end "the spiral of violence", while China condemned Khamenei's killing as a "serious violation of Iran's sovereignty".
From Barron's
“Delayed prenatal care has serious consequences for both mothers and babies,” Dr. Kim Bruno, associate director at Sera Prognostics, told Salon.
From Salon
The sudden plunge in electricity demand forced the grid operator to take quick action to avoid potentially serious damage.
Thousands of flights have been grounded to and from the region, in one of the most serious disruptions to global travel since the Covid-19 pandemic.
From BBC
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.
