Meaning of the word serious

Last Updated:
11 Apr 2023
— Updated example sentences

English[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Middle English seryows, from Old French serieux, from Medieval Latin sēriōsus, an extension of Latin sērius (“grave, earnest, serious”), from Proto-Indo-European *swer- (“heavy”). Cognate with German schwer (“heavy, difficult, severe”), Old English swǣr (“heavy, grave, grievous”). More at swear, sweer.

Pronunciation[edit]

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈsɪɚ.i.əs/, /ˈsɪɹ.i.əs/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈsɪə.ɹɪ.əs/, /ˈsɪː.ɹɪ.əs/
• Rhymes: -ɪəɹiəs
• Homophones: cereous, Sirius (one pronunciation)

Adjective[edit]

serious (comparative more serious or seriouser, superlative most serious or seriousest)

1. Without humor or expression of happiness; grave in manner or disposition

   It was a surprise to see the captain, who had always seemed so serious, laugh so heartily.

   Synonyms: earnest, solemn

2. Important; weighty; not insignificant

   This is a serious problem. We’ll need our best experts.

3. Really intending what is said (or planned, etc); in earnest; not jocular or deceiving

   After all these years, we’re finally getting serious attention.

   He says he wants to buy the team, but is he serious?

4. (of a relationship) Committed.

Synonyms[edit]

• See also Thesaurus:serious

Antonyms[edit]

• (important, weighty): trifling, unimportant
• (intending what is said): jesting

Derived terms[edit]

• srs (abbreviation)
• dead serious
• seriously
• seriousness
• serious-minded
• serious-mindedly
• serious-mindedness

Translations[edit]

Adverb[edit]

serious (not comparable)

1. (colloquial, dialect) In a serious manner; seriously.

   • 1957, Ray Lawler, Summer of the Seventeenth Doll, Sydney: Fontana Books, published 1974, page 68:

     The only time I walk out on singin’ is when there’s muckin’ about and youse don’t take it serious.

Further reading[edit]

• serious in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
• “serious”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.

Also found in: Thesaurus, Medical, Acronyms, Idioms, Wikipedia.

se·ri·ous

 (sîr′ē-əs)

adj.

1. Thoughtful, somber, or grave in manner: He became serious when he was asked about the economy.

2. Not joking or trifling: I was serious when I said I liked your haircut.

3. Deeply interested or involved: a serious golfer.

4. Meriting great concern: a serious illness; a serious mistake.

5. Performed with careful thought: a serious effort to reform tax policy.

6. Pertaining to important rather than trivial matters: a serious discussion.

7. Sincerely meant: mistook a sarcastic comment for a serious question.

8. Intended for sophisticated people: serious music.

9. Informal Of considerable size or scope; substantial: a serious amount of money.

---

[Middle English, from Old French serieux, from Late Latin sēriōsus, from Latin sērius.]

---

se′ri·ous·ly adv.

se′ri·ous·ness n.

Synonyms: serious, sober, grave², solemn, earnest¹
These adjectives refer to manner, appearance, disposition, or acts marked by absorption in thought, pressing concerns, or significant work. Serious implies a concern with responsibility and work as opposed to play: serious students of music. Sober emphasizes circumspection and self-restraint: «When … his sober demeanor gave way at the graveside, it was with the severity of one bereft beyond redemption» (Philip Roth).
Grave suggests the dignity and somberness associated with weighty matters: «a little girl with brownish-blackish hair standing at one of those windows like a grave captain at the prow of a ship» (Stacey D’Erasmo).
Solemn often adds to grave the suggestion of impressiveness: The judge was solemn when issuing the sentence. Earnest implies sincerity and intensity of purpose: We are earnest in our desire to reach an equitable solution.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

serious

(ˈsɪərɪəs)

adj

1. grave in nature or disposition; thoughtful: a serious person.

2. marked by deep feeling; in earnest; sincere: is he serious or joking?.

3. concerned with important matters: a serious conversation.

4. requiring effort or concentration: a serious book.

5. giving rise to fear or anxiety; critical: a serious illness.

6. informal worthy of regard because of substantial quantity or quality: serious money; serious wine.

7. informal extreme or remarkable: a serious haircut.

[C15: from Late Latin sēriōsus, from Latin sērius; probably related to Old English swǣr gloomy, Gothic swers esteemed]

ˈseriousness n

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

se•ri•ous

(ˈsɪər i əs)

adj.

1. of, showing, or characterized by deep thought.

2. grave or somber, as in character, disposition, or mood.

3. earnest; sincere; not trifling: a serious proposal.

4. requiring thought, concentration, or application: serious reading.

5. weighty, important, or significant: Marriage is a serious matter.

6. giving cause for apprehension; critical or threatening: a serious relapse.

7. arising from deep concern, perplexity, etc.: serious questions.

[1400–50; late Middle English < Latin sērius or Late Latin sēriōsus; see -ous, -ose¹]

se′ri•ous•ly, adv.

se′ri•ous•ness, n.

Random House Kernerman Webster’s College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

serious

1. ‘serious’

You say that a problem or situation is serious when it is bad enough to make people worried or afraid.

Bad housing is one of the most serious problems in the inner cities.

…a serious illness.

Serious matters are important and deserve careful consideration.

It’s time to get down to the serious business of the meeting.

I think this is a serious point.

People who are serious are thoughtful and quiet and do not often make jokes.

…a rather serious girl.

You can also describe someone’s expression as serious.

She had a serious, thoughtful face.

Don’t look so serious!

2. ‘serious about’

If someone is serious about doing something that they have talked about doing, they really intend to do it.

This would prove that we were serious about overcoming the obstacles.

If the government is serious about encouraging us to save, it should overhaul the system.

Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Adj.	1.	serious — concerned with work or important matters rather than play or trivialities; «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!» frivolous — not serious in content or attitude or behavior; «a frivolous novel»; «a frivolous remark»; «a frivolous young woman»
	2.	serious — of great consequence; «marriage is a serious matter» important, of import — of great significance or value; «important people»; «the important questions of the day»
	3.	serious — causing fear or anxiety by threatening great harm; «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» grievous, life-threatening, dangerous, grave, severe critical — being in or verging on a state of crisis or emergency; «a critical shortage of food»; «a critical illness»; «an illness at the critical stage»
	4.	serious — appealing to the mind; «good music»; «a serious book» good intellectual — appealing to or using the intellect; «satire is an intellectual weapon»; «intellectual workers engaged in creative literary or artistic or scientific labor»; «has tremendous intellectual sympathy for oppressed people»; «coldly intellectual»; «sort of the intellectual type»; «intellectual literature»
	5.	serious — completely lacking in playfulness   unplayful, sober
	6.	serious — requiring effort or concentration; complex and not easy to answer or solve; «raised serious objections to the proposal»; «the plan has a serious flaw» difficult, hard — not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure; «a difficult task»; «nesting places on the cliffs are difficult of access»; «difficult times»; «why is it so hard for you to keep a secret?»

Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

serious

adjective

2. important, crucial, urgent, pressing, difficult, worrying, deep, significant, grim, far-reaching, momentous, fateful, weighty, no laughing matter, of moment or consequence I regard this as a serious matter.
important insignificant, minor, trivial, slight, unimportant

5. solemn, earnest, grave, stern, sober, thoughtful, sedate, glum, staid, humourless, long-faced, pensive, unsmiling He’s quite a serious person.
solemn jolly, frivolous, carefree, smiling, joyful, flippant, light-hearted, funny

6. sincere, determined, earnest, resolved, genuine, deliberate, honest, resolute, in earnest You really are serious about this, aren’t you?
sincere undecided, frivolous, insincere, capricious, flippant, uncommitted, flighty

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

serious

adjective

1. Full of or marked by dignity and seriousness:

2. Marked by sober sincerity:

3. Having great consequence or weight:

4. Causing or marked by danger or pain, for example:

5. Not easy to do, achieve, or master:

The American Heritage® Roget’s Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Translations

جادجاد، صادِقجَدّي، رَزينجِدِّيّخَطِر، خَطير

vážnýnáročnýopravdový

alvorligfarligseriøs

serioza

vakava

ozbiljanvažanznačajanhladan

komolysúlyos

alvarleguralvarlegur, hættulegureinlægur

深刻な

심각한

rimtaižiūrėti į ką rimtai

dziļšgudrsnopietnssmagsvisā nopietnībā

resen

allvarligseriös

ร้ายแรง

nghiêm trọng

serious

[ˈsɪərɪəs] ADJ

3.
she’s earning serious money → no está ganando ninguna tontería

Collins Spanish Dictionary — Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

serious

[ˈsɪəriəs] adj

(= not joking) [person, comment] → sérieux/euse
Are you serious? → Vous êtes sérieux?
Is that your serious opinion?
BUT Pensez-vous sérieusement ce que vous dites?.

(= thoughtful) [person, temperament] → sérieux/euse
You look very serious → Tu as l’air sérieux.

(= important) [matter] → sérieux/euse
Don’t laugh. This is a serious matter → Ne riez pas. C’est une affaire sérieuse.

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

serious

adj

(= earnest) → ernst; (= not frivolous) → ernsthaft; consideration, discussion, conversation, doubts → ernst, ernsthaft; point, matter, business → ernst; newspaper, publication, interest → ernsthaft, seriös; offer, suggestion → ernst gemeint, seriös; attempt → ernsthaft; contender → ernst zu nehmend attr; to be serious about doing something → etw im Ernst tun wollen; I’m serious (about it) → ich meine das ernst, das ist mein Ernst; I’m deadly serious → es ist mir todernst (inf); he is serious about her → er meint es ernst mit ihr; be serious about your studies → du musst dein Studium ernst nehmen; you can’t be serious! → das meinst du doch nicht ernst!, das kann nicht dein Ernst sein!; to give serious thought or consideration to something → sich (dat) → etw ernsthaft or ernstlich überlegen, sich über etw (acc) → ernsthafte Gedanken machen; the serious student of jazz will … → wer sich ernsthaft mit Jazz beschäftigt, wird …; to earn serious money (inf) → das große Geld verdienen

(= critical) accident, flooding, deficiencies, loss → schwer; mistake, injury → schwer, schlimm; problem → ernst, ernst zu nehmend attr; illness → schwer, ernst; situation → ernst, schlimm; patient’s condition → ernst, bedenklich; threat, shortage, lack → ernst, ernstlich; deterioration → bedenklich; it’s serious → das ist schlimm; it’s getting serious → es wird ernst; inflation is getting serious → die Inflation nimmt ernste Ausmaße an

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

serious

(ˈsiəriəs) adjective

1. grave or solemn. a quiet, serious boy; You’re looking very serious.

2. (often with about) in earnest; sincere. Is he serious about wanting to be a doctor?

3. intended to make people think. He reads very serious books.

4. causing worry; dangerous. a serious head injury; The situation is becoming serious.

ˈseriousness nounˈseriously adverb

in a serious way; to a serious extent. Is he seriously thinking of being an actor?; She is seriously ill.

take (someone or something) seriously

1. to regard (a person or his statement etc) as in earnest. You mustn’t take his jokes/promises seriously.

2. to regard (a matter) as a subject for concern or serious thought. He refuses to take anything seriously.

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.

serious

→ جِدِّيّ vážný alvorlig ernst σοβαρός serio vakava sérieux ozbiljan serio 深刻な 심각한 serieus alvorlig poważny sério серьезный allvarlig ร้ายแรง ciddi nghiêm trọng 严重的

Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009

serious

a. serio-a; complicado-a;

adv. seriamente.

English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012

• Is it serious?

Collins Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009

serious

adj (illness, condition) grave, serio; (person) serio

English-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Pávlovna, there are things which must be investigated and fully understood before they can be talked about, things too serious, too serious  … ❋ Leo Tolstoy (1869)

She petted the friendly cat, her expression serious as she stared up at James. ❋ Jill Myles (2011)

Her eyes were alert, her expression serious and self-conscious and beautifully placid. ❋ Colm Tóibín (2004)

COOPER: Richard, let’s talk about consequences — 1441 used the term serious consequences if Iraq failed to abide by the resolution. ❋ Unknown (2003)

“Mother suffered?” the younger man asked, at great length, his expression serious again. ❋ Linda Lael Miller (1986)

Faced with such a smorgasbord of uses, what is to become of what I define as the serious novel? ❋ Warren Adler (2012)

New York lawmakers Wednesday criticized the city’s plan to remove PCB-contaminated lights from public schools over a 10-year period, saying it is insufficient to address what they call a serious health risk to children. ❋ Devlin Barrett (2011)

The president spoke to reporters Wednesday and compared the controversy to a carnival, at what he called a serious time. ❋ Unknown (2011)

NATO’s secretary-general says the alliance is considering options for military action in Libya if what he called the «serious humanitarian situation» gets worse. ❋ Unknown (2011)

Their departures came on the day the phone-hacking scandal engulfing Murdoch’s empire led him to issue a widespread, abject apology for what he described as «serious wrongdoing». ❋ Unknown (2011)

It was a small but horrifying item in the Los Angeles Times: Police are asking for the public’s help in identifying what they call a ‘serious, dangerous serial killer operating in Orange County. ❋ Diane Dimond (2012)

The maker of cameras and medical-imaging equipment sacked Chief Executive Michael Woodford last month after he demanded that the board look into what he described as serious governance concerns» surrounding the four acquisitions. ❋ Kana Inagaki (2011)

London took one and looked it over, her expression serious. ❋ Kate Brian (2011)

«Things are [gettin’] serious [up in here].»
«I made some [serious cash] last night.» ❋ **** You (2003)

— like making sure that [your space] [shuttle] is safe to use to re-enter a your own [planet’s] atmosphere… THAT is serious. ❋ Anonymous (2003)

Them [creps] are serious cuzz.
or
«Your [not serious]»-JME of [meridian] crew ❋ Voltige K-I-D (2004)

[damn] he’s serious ❋ Potatosfromearth123 (2017)

Wow! [Shorty] is [looking] serious [in those jeans]. ❋ Adrianne (2004)

1. «oi this new [Mos Def] song i got is serious»
2. [ye] i heard about that boy that [pars] around E8 but he’s a pussy, he aint serious» ❋ Lord Sinista (2005)

The serious [gorilla] at [the zoo] [scares] me.
I have a serious dad. ❋ Frabrizio (2016)

Bill: I need to go to the bathroom before we leave.
Tina: Is it serious?
Bill: Yes!
Tina: Then we’ll never get out of here!
-or-
Bill: I know you’re still putting on your makeup in here but I gotta go serious!
[-or]
Bill (with newspaper [tucked] under arm): [I’ll be back] in 20 minutes, I have to conduct some serious research. ❋ CtrlU (2010)

1. That bitch with the hideous [extensions] is real fuckin serious!
2. After waking up with [last nights] makeup still on, I am [RFS]!!
3. I’ve smoked too much… I’m serious! ❋ Pam/smashing Pandora (2005)

omg dude i saw serious today and he killed [all world] [26]. he is [sooo] good! ❋ [IR]Serious (2009)