serious
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.
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.
that which is of importance, grave, critical, or somber: You have to learn to separate the serious from the frivolous.
Origin of serious
1synonym study For serious
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
The present play is notable also as a piece of elaborate if not over-serious literary criticism from the pen of a great poet.
The Frogs | AristophanesDon't be over-serious; it breeds disease germs, just as anger and hate thoughts induce cancer, tumor and liver troubles.
Supreme Personality | Delmer Eugene Croft"You heard too much or too little," said I, being minded to laugh, though the matter was over serious to him to let me do so.
King Olaf's Kinsman | Charles WhistlerNot so over serious for a healthy man, but I'm afraid he's an old soaker—the sort that crumple up at a touch.
The Red Triangle | Arthur MorrisonHer influence in this direction over serious and impressionable minds was great indeed.
Critical Miscellanies (Vol 3 of 3) | John Morley
British Dictionary definitions for serious
/ (ˈsɪərɪəs) /
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
Origin of serious
1Derived 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
Browse