Meaning of serious in English
Table of contents
Pronunciation
/ˈsɪriəs/US accent
UK accent
to browse different examples of pronunciation.Classifying Adjective
seriousDefinitions
1. of great consequenceExamples
- « marriage is a serious matter »
Synonyms
- 2. causing fear or anxiety by threatening great harm
Examples
- « a dangerous operation »
- « a grave situation »
- « a grave illness »
- « grievous bodily harm »
- « a serious wound »
- « a serious turn of events »
- « a severe case of pneumonia »
- « a life-threatening disease »
Synonyms
- 3. appealing to the mind
Examples
- « good music »
- « a serious book »
Synonyms
- 4. requiring effort or concentration
Examples
- « complex and not easy to answer or solve »
- « raised serious objections to the proposal »
- « the plan has a serious flaw »
Synonyms
Qualitative Adjective
seriousEtymology
late Middle English: from Old French serieux or late Latin seriosus, from Latin serius‘earnest, serious’Definitions
1. concerned with work or important matters rather than play or trivialitiesExamples
- « a serious student of history »
- « a serious attempt to learn to ski »
- « gave me a serious look »
- « a serious young man »
- « are you serious or joking? »
- « Don't be so serious! »
Synonyms
- capital
- earnest
- in earnest(p)
- sincere
- solemn
- grave
- sedate
- sober
- solemn
- overserious
- real
- sensible
- thoughtful
- sobering
Antonyms
- 2. completely lacking in playfulness
Antonyms
Famous quotes
- « Humor is a serious thing. I like to think of it as one of our greatest earliest natural resources, which must be preserved at all cost. » James Thurber
- « Not a shred of evidence exists in favor of the idea that life is serious. » Brendan Gill
- « In France, cooking is a serious art form and a national sport. » Julia Child
- « Comedy is simply a funny way of being serious. » Peter Ustinov
- « Maggie Smith is an amazing woman, and not as serious in real life. » Allen Leech