1
as in solemn
not joking or playful in mood or manner
I'm serious when I say that no one should be walking in that neighborhood at night
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in important
having a matter of importance as its topic
a very serious film that dealt with the aftermath of the Gulf War
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in dangerous
involving potential loss or injury
a serious accident
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Try This Instead
Try This InsteadFor
Try This
a serious injury
serious questions
a serious concern
a substantial concern
a significant concern
a considerable concern
a major concern
an important concern
serious doubts
a serious effort
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of serious
To be sure, there have been positive signs that the revival was working, not least because the Tata’s were prepared to deploy serious capital and effort to back its ambitions.
—
Vasuki Shastry, Forbes.com, 29 June 2025
Historians often describe Flammarion more as a popularizer than a serious scientist, but this should not diminish his accomplishments.
—Matthew Shindell, Space.com, 29 June 2025
Viewers followed Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), a.k.a. player 456, a man in serious financial debt, who agrees to participate in a series of children's games to win money.
—Christopher Rudolph, People.com, 28 June 2025
According to a 2023 study on maternal health, women are still at risk for developing serious health conditions after the standard postpartum period of six to eight weeks.
—Cynthia McEwen, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for serious
Vasuki Shastry, Forbes.com, 29 June 2025
Historians often describe Flammarion more as a popularizer than a serious scientist, but this should not diminish his accomplishments.
—Matthew Shindell, Space.com, 29 June 2025
Viewers followed Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), a.k.a. player 456, a man in serious financial debt, who agrees to participate in a series of children's games to win money.
—Christopher Rudolph, People.com, 28 June 2025
According to a 2023 study on maternal health, women are still at risk for developing serious health conditions after the standard postpartum period of six to eight weeks.
—Cynthia McEwen, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for serious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for serious
Adjective
-
In the procedural drama, Rodríguez brings to life a multi-layered and solemn character shaped by a traumatic childhood — abused within the foster care system, with no knowledge of his origins, and struggling with severe dyslexia.—
Veronica Villafañe,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2025
-
This protection -- known as the seal of confession -- is among the oldest and most solemn obligations in the Catholic Church, grounded in the Church’s teaching that, in the sacrament, penitents are confidentially confessing to and receiving forgiveness from God.—
Hiram Sasser,
National Review,
15 June 2025
Adjective
-
Get best-in-class reporting that's too important to ignore for just $2.50 $1 per month for 1 year.—
Louryn Strampe,
Wired News,
24 June 2025
-
Getty Images Iran launched a missile strike against the largest American military installation in the Middle East, near Doha, Qatar, in retaliation for U.S. strikes on Iran's most important nuclear sites over the weekend.—
Michele Luhn,
CNBC,
24 June 2025
Adjective
-
And the Santa Barbara temblor revealed just how dangerous brick buildings built in that era could be.—
Rong-Gong Lin II,
Los Angeles Times,
29 June 2025
-
After landing, the most dangerous times, statistically speaking, are takeoff, approach, and initial climb.—
Katie Jackson,
Travel + Leisure,
29 June 2025
Adjective
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In practice, the report warns, losses could be even more severe, as the model does not fully account for the long-term impact of regional instability on foreign investment.—
Lidia Kurasinska,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2025
-
The idyllic universe that Mafalda had lived in was falling apart; the fissures in Argentinean society had become too severe, too dangerous, and the time for making sarcastic cracks at those in power had passed.—
Daniel Alarcón,
New Yorker,
30 June 2025
Adjective
-
His commitment gives Michigan its biggest recruiting win of the summer so far and another head-to-head victory against the Crimson Tide, the program Michigan beat in bowl games the past two years.—
Austin Meek,
New York Times,
24 June 2025
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In May, for instance, Prime Video India set a premiere date for its version of the reality series, marking the streamer’s biggest unscripted original to date.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
23 June 2025
Adjective
-
Many analysts believe that robots like the K2 are likely to complement human workers by taking over monotonous or hazardous duties, which allows people to focus on more complex, creative, or supervisory tasks.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
24 June 2025
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Researchers worldwide are already focusing on multimodal robots that can adjust to their environments and access sites too hazardous or difficult for humans to reach.—
Leslie Katz,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2025
Adjective
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The way this plays out is via a series of extremely earnest conversations about feelings, something women tend to be better at than men just given the way they are socialized.—
Rich Juzwiak,
Time,
25 June 2025
-
That means energy prices may be volatile until conditions settle down – even as summer vacations start in earnest and a massive heat wave grips the central and eastern parts of the country.—
Andrea Riquier,
USA Today,
23 June 2025
Adjective
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There have been 50 major model releases in just the first six months of 2025, with lots of different sizes, features, and use cases (see the table below).—
Steven Wolfe Pereira,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
-
The tour marks Ballerini’s first visit to Australia in seven years, and follows her major U.S. arena tour supporting her 2024 album PATTERNS.—
Jessica Lynch,
Billboard,
1 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Serious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/serious. Accessed 7 Jul. 2025.
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