Entry Word: serious

Function: adjective

Meaning: 1 not joking or playful in mood or manner <our parents were quite serious when they told us not to stay out too late>

Synonyms earnest, grave, humorless, no-nonsense, sedate, severe, sober, solemn, staid, uncomic, unfunny, unsmiling, weighty

Related Words harsh, stern, strict; dignified, distinguished, elevated, serious-minded

Near Antonyms antic, comic, comical, droll, farcical, funny, hilarious, hysterical, laughable, light, light-headed, ludicrous, ridiculous, risible, riotous, screaming, side-splitting, uproarious; featherbrained, flighty, frivolous, goofy, harebrained, lighthearted, puerile, scatterbrained; absurd, asinine, balmy, brainless, cockeyed, crazy, cuckoo, daffy, daft, dotty, fatuous, foolish, half-witted, insane, jerky, kooky, loony (also looney), lunatic, mad, nonsensical, nutty, preposterous, sappy, screwball, senseless, silly, unwise, wacky, weak-minded, witless, zany

Antonyms facetious, flip, flippant, humorous, jesting, jocular, joking, playful

2 having a matter of importance as its topic <a very serious film that dealt with the aftermath of the Gulf War>

Synonyms grave, heavy, weighty

Related Words big, consequential, eventful, important, major, material, meaningful, momentous, significant, substantial

Near Antonyms insignificant, little, minor, slight, small, trivial, unimportant

Antonyms light

3 involving potential loss or injury <a serious accident> — see dangerous