Serious
/ˈsɪə̯.ɹi.əs/ adj, adv, slang
adj, adv, slang ·Very common ·Middle school level
Definitions
Adjective
- 1 Without humor or expression of happiness; grave in manner or disposition.
"deadly serious"
- 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."
- 4 Committed.
Adjective
- 1 causing fear or anxiety by threatening great harm wordnet
- 2 requiring effort or concentration; complex and not easy to answer or solve wordnet
- 3 of great consequence wordnet
- 4 appealing to the mind wordnet
- 5 concerned with work or important matters rather than play or trivialities wordnet
Show 1 more definition
- 6 completely lacking in playfulness wordnet
Adverb
- 1 seriously, in a serious manner (most often heard in take or mean serious) colloquial, dialectal, not-comparable
"The only time I walk out on singin' is when there's muckin' about and youse don't take it serious."
Antonyms
All antonymsExample
More examples"It's not serious, I don't bear him a grudge."
Etymology
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.