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serious

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The definition of serious is showing deep thought, not joking, or a situation that requires careful thought.

(adjective)

An example of serious is wearing a full suit to a casual dinner; serious attire.
An example of serious is a person who doesn't smile or laugh easily; serious person.
An example of serious is sky diving; serious sport.

See serious in Webster's New World College Dictionary

adjective

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
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

Origin: 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 adverb
seriousness noun

See serious in American Heritage Dictionary 4

adjective

Grave in quality or manner: gave me a serious look.
a. Carried out in earnest: engaged in serious drinking; serious study of Italian.
b. Deeply interested or involved: a serious card player.
c. Designed for and addressing grave and earnest tastes: serious art; serious music.
d. Not trifling or jesting: I'm serious: we expect you to complete the assignment on time. Her question was serious enough to deserve a thoughtful response.
e. Informal Of considerable size or scope; substantial: a cleanup that cost serious money.
f. Of such character or quality as to appeal to the expert, the connoisseur, or the sophisticate: “Every serious kitchen needs at least one peppermill” (Washington Post).
Concerned with important rather than trivial matters: a serious student of history.
a. Being of such import as to cause anxiety: serious injuries; a serious turn of events.
b. Too complex to be easily answered or solved: raised some serious objections to the proposal.