serious 
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se·ri·ous (sir′ē əs)
adjective
- of, showing, having, or caused by earnestness or deep thought; earnest, grave, sober, or solemn a serious person
- meaning what one says or does; not joking or trifling; sincere
- meant in earnestness; not said or done in play
- concerned with grave, important, or complex matters, problems, etc.; weighty a serious novel
- requiring careful consideration or thought; involving difficulty, effort, or considered action a serious problem
- giving cause for concern; dangerous a serious wound
Etymology: ME seryows < ML seriosus < L serius, grave, orig., prob. weighty, heavy < ? IE base *swer- > OE swær, heavy, sad, Goth swers, important, orig., heavy
Related Forms:
- seriously se′·ri·ously adverb
- seriousness se′·ri·ous·ness noun
Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Alternate definitions:
serious
modif.
Involving danger
Involving earnestness
serious implies absorption in deep thought or involvement in something really important as distinguished from something frivolous or merely amusing he takes a serious interest in the theater; grave implies the dignified weightiness of heavy responsibilities or cares a grave expression on his face; solemn suggests an impressive or awe-inspiring seriousness a solemn ceremony; sedate implies a dignified, quiet or composed, sometimes even prim seriousness a sedate clergyman; earnest suggests a seriousness of purpose marked by sincerity and enthusiasm an earnest desire to help; sober implies a seriousness marked by temperance, self-control, emotional balance, etc. a sober criticism
Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Preposition: about
- career: Module 3: You've completed either or both of the previous modules, now you're serious about a career in travel reporting.
Modifies a noun
- injury: A well aimed kick from them can smash the skull of a hunting dog or inflict serious injury on a lion.
Modifying Another Word
- potentially: She has also had to cope with potentially serious mechanical problems.
Infinitive complement
- warrant: In certain circumstances other matters not listed above may also be considered serious enough to warrant summary dismissal.
Used with adjective complement
- become: Meanwhile the situation throughout the area was becoming more serious.
Preposition: in
- tone: The remainder of the extras are much more serious in tone and definitely for the older viewers.
The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.
De toutes les choses se¤ rieuses, le mariage e¤ tant la plus bouffonne. Of all serious things, marriage is the most farcical.
Thereare only twostyles of portrait painting, theserious and the smirk.
One can always tell when one isgetting old and serious by the way that holidays seem to interfere with one's work.
Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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Cite this page:
MLA Style
"serious." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009
- Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
- <www.yourdictionary.com/serious>
APA Style
serious. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary
- Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/serious
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