1
as in solemn
not joking or playful in mood or manner
I'm serious when I say that no one should be walking in that neighborhood at night
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in important
having a matter of importance as its topic
a very serious film that dealt with the aftermath of the Gulf War
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in dangerous
involving potential loss or injury
a serious accident
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Try This Instead
Try This InsteadFor
Try This
a serious injury
serious questions
a serious concern
a substantial concern
a significant concern
a considerable concern
a major concern
an important concern
serious doubts
a serious effort
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of serious
Ultimately, the policy was changed after more than five weeks of serious advocacy.
—
Nick Mordowanec, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 June 2025
Tomlin and team President Art Rooney II both kept the door open for Fields and Wilson to return, only to stand by idly when Fields bolted for the Jets and make no serious attempt to retain Wilson.
—Will Graves, Chicago Tribune, 5 June 2025
The Sony DualSense Edge game controller drops 16% and brings serious upgrades like swappable sticks and back buttons that give you an edge in every PS5 session.
—Shubham Yewale, PC Magazine, 5 June 2025
Twelve people ages 52 to 88 suffered burns ranging from serious to minor, police said.
—John Bacon, USA Today, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for serious
Nick Mordowanec, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 June 2025
Tomlin and team President Art Rooney II both kept the door open for Fields and Wilson to return, only to stand by idly when Fields bolted for the Jets and make no serious attempt to retain Wilson.
—Will Graves, Chicago Tribune, 5 June 2025
The Sony DualSense Edge game controller drops 16% and brings serious upgrades like swappable sticks and back buttons that give you an edge in every PS5 session.
—Shubham Yewale, PC Magazine, 5 June 2025
Twelve people ages 52 to 88 suffered burns ranging from serious to minor, police said.
—John Bacon, USA Today, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for serious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for serious
Adjective
-
President Donald Trump delivered a history-laden Memorial Day speech after laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, his remarks echoing against the solemn backdrop of Arlington National Cemetery, final resting place of more than 400,000 veterans and their family members.—
Davis Winkie,
USA Today,
27 May 2025
-
Easter can be a solemn event, but only the few days before.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
26 May 2025
Adjective
-
The intelligence teams gather during interviews preceding testing is just as important, if not more so.—
Fluto Shinzawa,
New York Times,
31 May 2025
-
Tire tread depth - Checking your tire tread before hitting the road is important, as low or no tread can lead to sliding.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
31 May 2025
Adjective
-
At times, the Algerian even operated as a wide forward as O’Neil grappled with a forward injury crisis and identified Ait-Nouri as his most dangerous attacking threat.—
Steve Madeley,
New York Times,
6 June 2025
-
Of all the things at risk, the loss of an objective reality is perhaps the most dangerous.—
Sammy Roth,
Los Angeles Times,
5 June 2025
Adjective
-
After years of severe drought, California saw one of its wettest winters on record.—
Annika Merrilees,
Sacbee.com,
7 June 2025
-
Psych patients treated in Idaho maximum security prison An Idaho law passed decades ago requires the state to house severe psychiatric patients within the maximum security prison because there weren’t any secure enough hospitals, ProPublica reported.—
Alex Brizee,
Idaho Statesman,
6 June 2025
Adjective
-
Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published.—
Hannah Allam,
ProPublica,
31 May 2025
-
The set of economic policies that Trump is pursuing are confusing and damaging to long term American growth and the fabric of its society (his ‘big, beautiful’ budget bill will disproportionately favour wealthy over poorer households).—
Mike O'Sullivan,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
Adjective
-
Other parts of the southeastern US could see hazardous weather Friday afternoon and evening.—
Alaa Elassar,
CNN Money,
30 May 2025
-
However, a small portion of them, known as potentially hazardous asteroids (PHAs), do require close monitoring.—
Soo Kim,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 May 2025
Adjective
-
Momentous Human Payoff Ahead Moving the needle on the subjective vs. objective preponderance in psychology is going to take earnest and undeterred energy and attention.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
2 June 2025
-
The overly earnest character speaks in a hilariously cringey Gen Z self-help psychobabble that continuously grates on Enrique’s nerves.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 May 2025
Adjective
-
Catch Up On The Story Chelsea can become the first club to win all four major UEFA trophies – but who else could complete the set?—
Simon Johnson,
New York Times,
28 May 2025
-
Rio has also been consolidating itself as one of the most filmed cities in the world, surpassing major cinematic destinations such as Paris and Mexico City.—
Rafa Sales Ross,
Variety,
27 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Serious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/serious. Accessed 11 Jun. 2025.
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