take (someone or something) seriously

idiom

: to treat (someone or something) as being very important and deserving attention or respect
He takes his religious faith seriously.
She's well qualified for the job, so she hopes the company will take her seriously.
His parents threatened to punish him, but he didn't take them seriously, since he had not been punished before.
Most politicians take themselves too seriously.

Examples of take (someone or something) seriously in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Covid era marks the start of America’s social collapse, eventually leading to the politically agitated George Floyd riots — a psychic disintegration that resembles Aster’s previous Hereditary, Midsommar, and Beau Is Afraid, horror-movie spectacles that some impressionable people take seriously. Armond White, National Review, 23 July 2025 Trump administration briefs are chock-full of weak arguments that even the court’s conservatives would not take seriously. Noah Feldman, Mercury News, 22 July 2025 Some seemed not to take seriously the risk that infections like RSV and the flu can pose to even healthy children. Lisa Jarvis, Mercury News, 5 July 2025 That's tough for coaches, because most take seriously their responsibility for helping players earn scholarship money, regardless of how big or small the university is. Tyler Palmateer, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for take (someone or something) seriously

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Take (someone or something) seriously.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20%28someone%20or%20something%29%20seriously. Accessed 28 Jul. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!