serious Hear it!

serious Definition

se·ri·ous (sir′ē əs)

adjective

  1. of, showing, having, or caused by earnestness or deep thought; earnest, grave, sober, or solemn a serious person
    1. meaning what one says or does; not joking or trifling; sincere
    2. meant in earnestness; not said or done in play
  3. concerned with grave, important, or complex matters, problems, etc.; weighty a serious novel
  4. requiring careful consideration or thought; involving difficulty, effort, or considered action a serious problem
  5. 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

serious Related Forms
se′·ri·ously adverb se′·ri·ous·ness noun
serious Synonyms

serious

modif.

  1. Involving danger

    grave, severe, pressing; see dangerous 1, 2.

  2. Involving earnestness

    solemn, grave, earnest, sedate, sober; see also solemn 1.

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

serious Usage Examples

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.
  • illness: A serious illness obliged him to retire in 1919.
  • consequence: Any breach of this action could have serious consequences for the club.
  • offense: It is a serious offense to discharge waste at sea or into harbor waters.
  • threat: Right now, today, the truck bomb is a much more serious threat than the logic bomb.
  • problem: Are there really serious problems with the law here?

Modifying Another Word

  • potentially: She has also had to cope with potentially serious mechanical problems.
  • extremely: Types of incidents vary from the extremely serious to the apparently minor.
  • very: At least two policeman also had very serious face injuries from the stones flying through the air.
  • particularly: Such trends, if generalisable, would have particularly serious implications for the quality of women's employment.
  • too: Apparently these things will bite, but it's not too serious.
  • pretty: Its a pretty serious charge so where's the evidence?

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.
  • get: Sounds to us like she's about to get serious.
  • consider: In certain circumstances other matters not listed above may also be considered serious enough to warrant summary dismissal.
  • look: I would rather they were a little like me. ' He stops looking serious now.
  • remain: We remain serious, the girl serving becomes confused.

Preposition: in

  • tone: The remainder of the extras are much more serious in tone and definitely for the older viewers.
serious Quotes

Comedy is a very serious thing.

—Garrick, David

Dead men are serious.

—50 Cent originally  CurtisJackson

Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract ourattention from serious things. Theyare but improved means to an unimproved end.

—Thoreau, Henry David

And wine can of their wits the wise beguile, Make the sage frolic, and the serious smile.

—Pope, Alexander

I readilyadmit that I am often more serious than I should be at my age or in my present circumstances, yet I know from experiencethat Iamnever lessgiventomelancholy thanwhen I am keenlyapplying the feeble powers of my fallen to be the laughing stock of children.

—Sidney, Sir Philip

Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I don't like that attitude. I can assure them it is much more serious than that.

—Shankly, Bill (William)

   De toutes les choses se¤  rieuses, le mariage e¤  tant la plus bouffonne. Of all serious things, marriage is the most farcical.

—Beaumarchais, Pierre Augustin Caron de

Speculators may do no harm as bubbles on a steady stream of enterprise.But the position is serious when enterprise becomes the bubble on a whirlpool of speculation.When the capital development of a country becomes a by-product of the activities of a casino, the job is likely to be ill-done.

—Keynes (of Tilton),John Maynard, 1st Baron

In England we have come to rely upon a comfortable time-lag of fifty years or a century intervening between the perception that something ought to be done and a serious attempt to do it.

—Wells, H(erbert) G(eorge)

Of course we can Learn even from Novels,Nace Novels that is, but it isn't the same thing as serious reading.

—Wells, H(erbert) G(eorge)

One can always tell when one isgetting old and serious by the way that holidays seem to interfere with one's work.

—Edwards, Bob (Robert Chambers)

   Thereare only twostyles of portrait painting, theserious and the smirk.

—Dickens, CharlesJohn Huffam

If I laugh on that particular day I become so filled with Laughing Gas that I simply can't keep on the ground. Even if I smile it happens.The first funny thought, and I'm up like a balloon. And until I can thinkof something serious I can't get down again.

—Travers, P(amela) L(yndon)

On n'est pas se¤  rieux, quand on a dix-sept ans. When you are seventeen, you are not serious.

—Rimbaud, (Jean Nicolas) Arthur

You cannot be serious!

—McEnroe,John Patrick