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Meaning of serious in English:

serious

Pronunciation /ˈsɪərɪəs/

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adjective

1Demanding or characterized by careful consideration or application.
‘marriage is a serious matter’
- ‘we give serious consideration to safety recommendations’
- ‘I raise what I consider to be quite a serious matter for your consideration.’
- ‘I will give this matter serious consideration and report back as the member has requested.’
- ‘I raise for serious debate and consideration the issue that we have too many judges.’
- ‘It's important to remember that failure to submit an application is a serious matter.’
- ‘They have carefully avoided any serious debate on the economic issues.’
- ‘If not, I think it's a serious consideration if this journal is any indication.’
- ‘That submission calls for serious consideration and it has led to some close textual analysis of the paragraph in question.’
- ‘If somebody made me a good offer to take over your job I would give it serious consideration.’
- ‘When you go into a courtroom you are doing something very serious and solemn and you are representing more than just the rights of your client.’
- ‘First though, there were serious problems that needed solving.’
- ‘The book has serious flaws, though, and not just because it is really only an extended essay.’
- ‘It attempts to handle a serious topic thoughtfully, but ultimately fumbles it.’
- ‘Though addressing serious issues such as the status of women, it is not thick with gravitas.’
- ‘This is not just about child abuse, serious though it undoubtedly is.’
- ‘Now, though, there are serious questions about the level of disclosure by the very head of the inquiry.’
- ‘Space does not allow publication of all questions, but all receive serious consideration.’
- ‘According to the experts, serious consideration of the unique factors involved is required.’
- ‘One should always treat analogies with caution, but this one merits serious consideration.’
- ‘Don't expect serious discussion of any of these issues from our federal courts.’
- ‘He gave them all a puzzled look but could tell they were in a serious conversation, so he didn't push it.’
important, significant, consequential, of consequence, momentous, of moment, key, grave, weighty, far-reaching, major
careful, detailed, in-depth, deep, profound, meaningful
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1. 1.1Solemn or thoughtful in character or manner.
  ‘her face grew serious’
  ‘Her forceful personality and ease in the spotlight complemented the king's serious, thoughtful demeanour.’
  ‘These are serious, thoughtful people who are not in thrall to the restrictions of old ideologies.’
  ‘He looks solemn and serious, but I can remember how he and the other two big boys were holding in laughter.’
  ‘His character is serious, but loveable, and it's great to see him tackle drama as easily as he does comedy.’
  ‘She scowled meanly, then her face became more serious and thoughtful.’
  ‘She looked at him levelly, her eyes dry and now solemn and serious.’
  ‘Olivia looks thoughtful before her serious face is broken by a broad smile.’
  ‘The familiar smirk was gone, replaced by a serious, solemn look that she had never seen before.’
  ‘Indeed, it became an important part of the process of playing a serious character.’
  ‘Her blush climbed higher as he watched her with feigned serious thoughtfulness.’
  ‘For once, he was totally serious as new thoughts compressed his old ones to the back of his mind.’
  ‘Then he let the smile fade into a more serious expression, though it was one that was filled with a steady joy.’
  ‘He grinned at her, but quickly turned serious again as his thoughts returned to why he was there.’
  ‘He looked so serious for a moment that Faith almost believed him.’
  ‘Her mother became very serious for a moment, her hands tightening on Jessie's shoulders.’
  ‘He became serious for a moment as they stepped onto the marble floor of the entry hall.’
  ‘I tried to give him a charming smile and look serious at the same time.’
  ‘I've always tried to be both humorous and serious at the same time.’
  ‘He tried to appear serious for a second but then broke down laughing.’
  solemn, earnest, grave, sober, sombre, unsmiling, poker-faced, stern, grim, dour, humourless, stony-faced
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2. 1.2(of music, literature, or other art forms) requiring or meriting deep reflection.
  ‘he bridges the gap between serious and popular music’
  ‘Our culture forces serious music to function solely as entertainment or not at all.’
  ‘They are probably the only group around making any kind of serious music.’
  ‘Then a Saturday night show will take place at the Holy Cross Cathedral and will consist of more serious music.’
  ‘There is no permanent circuit to screen serious films and the distribution system too leaves much to be desired.’
  ‘At least when I grew up I could look forward to the next Bergman film or serious movies by other great film-makers.’
  ‘Every aspect of what is supposed to prevail in serious fiction comes into play.’
  ‘Before that I was beginning to fear there was no place for serious drama in the movie industry.’
  ‘Of course The Magdalene Sisters is a serious film, a horror story in the true sense of the term, but also a lesson in history.’
  ‘And his new film, Munich is also what I suppose you can call a serious film by Spielberg.’
  ‘He was nominated for an Oscar for his first serious movie, The Last Picture Show, which he made at age 22.’
  ‘While it toyed with serious drama, Moulin Rouge is injected with joyous melodramatic fun.’
  ‘A serious drama should be like a swimmer diving into a pool and swimming to the other side in one smooth, perfect trajectory.’
  ‘Name me a recent serious novel written about the experience of Black men in America.’
  ‘It was not commercial fiction, it was all serious fiction, but I loved it.’
  ‘Very few directors dare to make serious films due to paucity of funds, she said.’
  ‘The principal gave a little speech on creating the right mood for serious poetry.’
  ‘The movie itself might not be much on serious drama, but the bonus features make up for that.’
  ‘It was generally a parody or skit on more serious opera, a forerunner of the satirical revue.’
  ‘It is so rewarding to experience theatre that is serious, thought provoking, skilful and local.’
  ‘He has made a serious and thoughtful film, despite some obvious limitations.’
  intellectual, highbrow, heavyweight, deep, profound, literary, learned, scholarly, cultured
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2Acting or speaking sincerely and in earnest, rather than in a joking or half-hearted manner.
‘actors who are serious about their work’
- ‘These frank statements suggest that he is sincere and serious about exposing the problems and proposing solutions.’
- ‘If it was serious about a long-term commitment to Mitsubishi, then why isn't it willing to bail it out?’
- ‘Better to try to look half way serious about this now, rather than after the names break.’
- ‘Most people begin to think that no one is serious about it and its all just a big joke.’
- ‘If the Americans are serious about the spread of liberty they must commit themselves to it.’
- ‘These food changes took a lot of determination, but I was serious about losing weight.’
- ‘We've already shared a bit of banter but for that 90 minutes we will be very serious about what we have to do for our respective countries.’
- ‘Those aren't the words of somebody who was serious about fighting the Cold War.’
- ‘If the Government is serious about disaster preparedness, it is going to have to start with the fundamentals.’
- ‘And even if he was being serious about the tsunami escape centre, who's to say the idea is ludicrous?’
- ‘If we are serious about cutting the teenage pregnancy rate, family planning experts must be able to advise young people of the choices.’
- ‘If Americans don't get serious about voter fraud very soon, it will be too late.’
- ‘The club is serious about their intent to gain promotion this season.’
- ‘He's truly serious about wanting to get the paparazzi outlawed.’
- ‘You start locking up folks and then we tell people we are serious about this.’
- ‘Now, judging on the tax cuts you've offered, you're quite serious about that.’
- ‘I'm serious about this because we are now looking at some accountability in a system.’
- ‘If he is really serious about giving up, and is not just saying that to fob you off, he should seek professional therapy to help him to kick the habit.’
- ‘Nobody in the Security Council thought that he was serious or honest with that declaration.’
- ‘Though she was quite serious, James Benedict burst into a bought of amused laughter.’
in earnest, earnest, sincere, wholehearted, genuine, meaning what one says
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3Significant or worrying because of possible danger or risk; not slight or negligible.
‘she escaped serious injury’
- ‘To allow that to happen is to put the child itself at terrible risk of serious injury or death if there is an accident.’
- ‘It is better to speak of an unlawful and dangerous act carrying with it an appreciable risk of serious injury.’
- ‘People deserve better - not just those living there but the motorists who risk death or serious injury every day.’
- ‘Full protection needs to be worn to reduce the risk of serious eye injuries.’
- ‘The grade 3 concussion and the retinal detachment were the most serious injuries observed.’
- ‘The most serious injuries were thought to be head injuries, broken bones and fractures.’
- ‘There is an error in the third paragraph which is sufficiently serious to warrant that I replace the copy.’
- ‘If the offence is serious enough to warrant it, the court may consider imposing a community sentence.’
- ‘The firm says the problem is not serious enough to merit a full product recall.’
- ‘The specialist I visited at age 8 did not believe my condition was serious enough to merit correction.’
- ‘The screener must decide whether a complaint raises a question of serious professional misconduct.’
- ‘However, due to a serious family illness we will be unable to go.’
- ‘The risk of serious complication was lower in those who had treatment for diabetes.’
- ‘The most common serious complications were related to the incision or urinary tract problems.’
- ‘Adequate knowledge and training of clinicians will minimize the occurrence of such serious complications.’
- ‘I fear that this may well have some serious repercussions for many innocent Muslims.’
- ‘Only 26 patients had side effects that were serious enough to require a dosage reduction.’
- ‘However, investigations later showed it was only an increased heartbeat which is less serious than first thought.’
- ‘Does this mean there is new evidence that climate change is more serious than previously thought?’
- ‘Deeper infection is serious and requires removal and re-implantation of the joint.’
severe, grave, bad, critical, acute, alarming, worrying, grievous, dreadful, terrible, dire, extreme, dangerous, perilous, precarious
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4informal attributive Substantial in terms of size, number, or quality.
- ‘he suddenly had serious money to spend’
- ‘So, I am making a shopping list and plan to be spending some serious money!’
- ‘No, Blair's Britain had a minimum wage, a New Deal for the unemployed and spent serious money on health and education.’
- ‘Yes, turkey hunters love to hunt and are willing to spend serious money in this growing market.’
- ‘The owners have spent serious money making it a very enjoyable tour that takes around a half an hour.’
- ‘When was the last time you gained any serious size using regular whey protein?’
- ‘Ignoring the heterogeneity may lead to a serious underestimation of sample sizes.’
- ‘Even before opening the box there's a feeling of quality and a serious amount of weight!’
- ‘The conduct did not cause serious or substantial harm to Broadview's interest.’
- ‘Now this amiable Bostonian is ready to pack on some serious size to do damage at the next level.’
- ‘Many companies are involved in a serious and extensive total quality management effort.’
- ‘This is all outweighed by its tiny size and serious devotion to high-end features for the price.’
- ‘Our diligent investigations reveal serious alteration to the terms of the document.’
- ‘Daytona International Speedway announced a serious sum of money is going to be spent on renovations.’
- ‘Both clubs boast some serious money, and some serious hubris.’
- ‘In its 30th year the pool would need a serious overhaul and more money would be needed to support the venture.’
- ‘They are prepared, on occasion, to part with a serious amount of money provided they are convinced that the cooking merits it.’
- ‘US production companies invest serious time and money into their craft, and it makes great TV.’
- ‘Now all but the most unquestioning loyalists are having serious second thoughts.’
- ‘Though dazed and in serious pain, I was aware on some level of the chaos I had instigated.’
- ‘This is the kind of thing that gives me serious second thoughts about the Internet.’
sizeable, substantial, appreciable, significant
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