serious

[ seer-ee-uhs ]
See synonyms for serious on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. of, showing, or characterized by deep thought.

  2. of grave or somber disposition, character, or manner: a serious occasion; a serious man.

  1. being in earnest; sincere; not trifling: His interest was serious.

  2. requiring thought, concentration, or application: serious reading; a serious task.

  3. weighty or important: a serious book; Marriage is a serious matter.

  4. giving cause for apprehension; critical: The plan has one serious flaw.

  5. 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
  1. that which is of importance, grave, critical, or somber: You have to learn to separate the serious from the frivolous.

Origin of serious

1
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Middle French serieux and Latin sērius “grave, earnest” or Late Latin sēriōsus; see -ous, -ose1

synonym study For serious

3. See earnest1.

Other words for serious

Opposites for serious

Other words from serious

  • se·ri·ous·ness, noun
  • half-se·ri·ous, adjective
  • half-se·ri·ous·ly, adverb
  • non·se·ri·ous, adjective
  • non·se·ri·ous·ly, adverb
  • o·ver·se·ri·ous, adjective
  • o·ver·se·ri·ous·ly, adverb
  • qua·si-se·ri·ous, adjective
  • qua·si-se·ri·ous·ly, adverb
  • su·per·se·ri·ous, adjective
  • su·per·se·ri·ous·ly, adverb
  • ul·tra·se·ri·ous, adjective
  • ul·tra·se·ri·ous·ly, adverb
  • un·se·ri·ous, adjective
  • un·se·ri·ous·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use serious in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for serious

serious

/ (ˈsɪərɪəs) /


adjective
  1. grave in nature or disposition; thoughtful: a serious person

  2. marked by deep feeling; in earnest; sincere: is he serious or joking?

  1. concerned with important matters: a serious conversation

  2. requiring effort or concentration: a serious book

  3. giving rise to fear or anxiety; critical: a serious illness

  4. informal worthy of regard because of substantial quantity or quality: serious money; serious wine

  5. informal extreme or remarkable: a serious haircut

Origin of serious

1
C15: from Late Latin sēriōsus, from Latin sērius; probably related to Old English swǣr gloomy, Gothic swers esteemed

Derived forms of serious

  • seriousness, noun

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