1
: thoughtful or subdued in appearance or manner : sober
a quiet, serious girl
2
a
: requiring much thought or work
serious study
b
: of or relating to a matter of importance
a serious play
3
4
a
: not easily answered or solved
serious objections
b
: having important or dangerous possible consequences
a serious injury
5
: excessive or impressive in quality, quantity, extent, or degree
serious stereo equipment
making serious money
serious drinking
seriousness
noun
Synonyms
Examples of serious in a Sentence
“You sound terrible.” “It's just a bad cold. Nothing serious.”
For my brother, not going to college was a serious mistake.
Crime is a serious problem in this neighborhood.
The team is a serious contender for the championship.
If you want to quit smoking, you have to make a serious effort.
They had a serious conversation about their relationship.
a serious novel about modern life
The story raises serious questions about our system of justice.
Dog shows are a serious business.
She is a serious cyclist who rides 200 miles each week.
Recent Examples on the Web
The Trump administration now needs to get serious about shaping regional and global conventions around digital trade, anticorruption, and intellectual property rights to counter Beijing’s efforts to bend weaker states to its will and obstruct U.S. economic access.
—
Michael Green, Foreign Affairs, 19 Nov. 2024
Here’s where the fun stuff turns into serious stuff.
—Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 16 Nov. 2024
Anybody keeping pace with Barry Sanders deserves serious love.
—Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 16 Nov. 2024
What this translates to is a fast and efficient desktop that's more than capable of serious office work and gaming alike.
—PCMAG, 16 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for serious 
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Michael Green, Foreign Affairs, 19 Nov. 2024
Here’s where the fun stuff turns into serious stuff.
—Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 16 Nov. 2024
Anybody keeping pace with Barry Sanders deserves serious love.
—Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 16 Nov. 2024
What this translates to is a fast and efficient desktop that's more than capable of serious office work and gaming alike.
—PCMAG, 16 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for serious
Dictionary Entries Near serious
Cite this Entry
“Serious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/serious. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
serious
adjective
se·ri·ous
ˈsir-ē-əs 
1
: thoughtful or quiet in appearance or manner
2
a
: requiring much thought or work
serious study
b
: of or relating to a matter of importance
a serious novel
3
: not joking or funny
4
: having important or dangerous possible consequences
a serious injury
seriously
adverb
seriousness
noun
Medical Definition
serious
adjective
se·ri·ous
ˈsir-ē-əs
: having important or dangerous possible consequences
a serious injury
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