serious
629
3.2
- adjective
- /ˈsɪr.i.əs/
:
serio
- Emily was a more determined and serious student than Sarah had been at 14.
- a serious problem
- a serious effort
- a serious study
So you have to be serious about your health.
- So you have to be serious about your health.
- So a balancing of the serious and the comic together.
- It should have received more serious placement.
- Do I have any serious commentary for Janine?
- Well, this is a serious idea to contend with.
- So let's hear how this serious, serious policy discussion went.
- My show often deals with extremely serious and very heavy subject matter.
- It was really the first really serious gathering around this problem.
Examples
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I think it's a test about how serious you are about music.
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So you have to be serious about your health.
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I think Molly and I should go upstairs and do some serious talking.
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Used with appropriate caution, modest methods can support serious inquiry into the work of teaching.
Academic text (1990) -
Look, O'Neil, I get it, you want to be a serious journalist.
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This project requires serious commitment and extensive planning.
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Students should take their studies seriously to achieve good grades.
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The scientist conducted a serious analysis of the environmental data.
Synonyms
221
2.1
Hard to do or understand
156
4.3
Needing a lot of work, care, or money at the same time
68
2.6
Serious and quietly thinking about something
34
4.9
Needing a lot of effort or energy
29
7.7
Very difficult to do and needing a lot of effort over a long time
7
5.0
About the main, basic part of something
Needing a lot of time, effort, or attention
Antonyms
Compounds
1
4.6
A calm, quiet way of behaving that shows you are thinking about important things
How Demanding
Surface Forms
Etymology
Serious comes from the Latin word serius, which meant 'weighty' or 'important' — imagine a problem that feels heavy. So a serious task is one that needs a lot of thought and effort.