as in gravity
formal
a very serious quality or manner
The new leader has an air of gravitas that commands respect. a comic actress who lacks the gravitas for dramatic roles
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of gravitas
More competent and less malleable than Henry, Potter had a gravitas befitting a show that was growing in ambition.
—
James Poniewozik, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2022
Some fiction podcasts ape true crime, borrowing that genre’s structure and tropes in order to achieve a suspenseful gravitas.
—Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 14 July 2022
His range was wide, but Hall, who had a natural gravitas, often played men in suits, trench coats and lab coats.
—Jake Coyle, Chicago Tribune, 13 June 2022
Baseball holds a particular gravitas in the world of sports.
—Aj Willingham, CNN, 8 May 2022
See All Example Sentences for gravitas
James Poniewozik, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2022
Some fiction podcasts ape true crime, borrowing that genre’s structure and tropes in order to achieve a suspenseful gravitas.
—Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 14 July 2022
His range was wide, but Hall, who had a natural gravitas, often played men in suits, trench coats and lab coats.
—Jake Coyle, Chicago Tribune, 13 June 2022
Baseball holds a particular gravitas in the world of sports.
—Aj Willingham, CNN, 8 May 2022
See All Example Sentences for gravitas
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gravitas
Noun
-
Francis’ doctors told reporters on Feb. 21 that the pope authorized them to clearly explain the gravity of his situation, in detail, and their regular medical bulletins have suggested that Francis is comfortable with such information being in the public domain.—
Nicole Winfield,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Mar. 2025
-
The instrument seeks out planets by detecting the subtle wobble of stars as the gravity of orbiting planets tug on their stellar hosts, known as the radial velocity technique.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN,
17 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
His determination led to McIlroy's second career win at the event, silencing doubters.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
18 Mar. 2025
-
The city’s Department of Finance was reviewing the OCB determination and did not immediately return a request for comment.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
17 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
The agreement was made during the NFL’s open negotiation window, but a contract can’t be officially signed until the start of the new league year when free agency starts in earnest on Wednesday at 4 p.m. Moehrig, 25, brings size and physicality to the Panthers’ safety room.—
Mike Kaye,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Mar. 2025
-
After a brief moment mourning Acacia, the episode this week starts in earnest with the reading challenge.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
28 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Tom Hanks plays Paul, a death-row prison guard who treats his job with near-religious solemnity, and Oscar-nominee Michael Clarke Duncan is John Coffey, his newest inmate, who just so happens to have magical powers.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
21 Feb. 2025
-
Network desks tried to convey a sense of tradition and solemnity while scrambling to process a rush of Trump executive orders that made clear these were not ordinary times.—
James Poniewozik,
New York Times,
21 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Amid the entire harrowing journey, Alex never loses her resolve.—
Jackie Strause,
The Hollywood Reporter,
9 Mar. 2025
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Further, McKinley didn’t display the kind of expansionist zeal or martial fervor that would correspond to Trump’s call for the U.S. acquisition of Greenland, for example, or his resolve to take back the Panama Canal and secure the wrecked land of Gaza.—
Robert W. Merry,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
7 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gravitas.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gravitas. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.
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