1
2
3

Try This Instead

For
Try This
a serious injury
a significant injury
a severe injury
a substantial injury
a major injury
an intense injury
serious questions
legitimate questions
sincere questions
genuine questions
sensible questions
tough questions
a serious concern
a substantial concern
a significant concern
a considerable concern
a major concern
an important concern
serious doubts
immense doubts
strong doubts
severe doubts
massive doubts
a serious effort
a huge effort
a considerable effort
a substantial effort
a real effort
a sincere effort

Synonym Chooser

How is the word serious different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of serious are earnest, grave, sedate, sober, solemn, and staid. While all these words mean "not light or frivolous," serious implies a concern for what really matters.

a serious play about social injustice

In what contexts can earnest take the place of serious?

Although the words earnest and serious have much in common, earnest suggests sincerity or often zealousness of purpose.

an earnest reformer

When would grave be a good substitute for serious?

While in some cases nearly identical to serious, grave implies both seriousness and dignity in expression or attitude.

read the proclamation in a grave voice

When is it sensible to use sedate instead of serious?

While the synonyms sedate and serious are close in meaning, sedate implies a composed and decorous seriousness.

remained sedate amid the commotion

Where would sober be a reasonable alternative to serious?

The words sober and serious are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, sober stresses seriousness of purpose and absence of levity or frivolity.

a sober look at the state of our schools

When might solemn be a better fit than serious?

The synonyms solemn and serious are sometimes interchangeable, but solemn suggests an impressive gravity utterly free from levity.

a sad and solemn occasion

When is staid a more appropriate choice than serious?

In some situations, the words staid and serious are roughly equivalent. However, staid suggests a settled, accustomed sedateness and prim self-restraint.

a quiet and staid community

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of serious The Two Words to Say When Someone Comments on Your Hygiene While the tablets can make your mouth itchy, the risk of serious side effects is low. Sarah Klein, Time, 30 Apr. 2025 At the same time, there were reports that some schools were not properly documenting serious misbehavior – hiding high or disparate rates of discipline. F. Chris Curran, The Conversation, 30 Apr. 2025 For just $4, this Creme of Nature’s Argan Oil for Hair Intensive Conditioning Treatment delivers serious moisture, softness, and shine to dry and lifeless strands. Jailynn Taylor, Allure, 30 Apr. 2025 Emergency personnel transported the injured person to a nearby trauma center with serious injuries, officials said. Doc Louallen, ABC News, 30 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for serious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for serious
Adjective
  • President Trump Makes His Entrance At Pope Francis' Funeral By Emma Marsden Freelance News Reporter Newsweek Is A Trust Project Member news article 7 Pope Francis' funeral took place in a solemn ceremony at the Vatican on Saturday, drawing hundreds of thousands of mourners from around the world.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Apr. 2025
  • The solemn ceremony will draw world leaders from around the globe.
    Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Three Key Lessons: Pareek’s Insights into Innovation Over the course of his career, Pareek has learned many important lessons.
    William Jones, USA Today, 26 Apr. 2025
  • In the end, the team found an old pizza parlor which doubled up as a gas station, an important location in a show where the protagonists are constantly encountering new people on their journey.
    Max Goldbart, Deadline, 25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • On April 26, flash flooding forced emergency water rescues in Duncan, Oklahoma, while dangerous flooding was reported in the cities of Norman and Moore.
    Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2025
  • Reading back over her sister’s occasionally gossipy letters, maybe Cassie thought those qualities were just too dangerous to reveal publicly.
    Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • April 2022 water levels Prior to 2023, California was experiencing severe, widespread drought.
    Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 May 2025
  • As recently as January, the Liberals trailed the Conservatives by almost twenty points in the polls, owing to a wave of severe, if sometimes incoherent, dissatisfaction with Trudeau.
    Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 1 May 2025
Adjective
  • For some, the season also brings big relationship shifts, too.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Apr. 2025
  • From a regulatory perspective, there are only three big ingredient categories in skin care: over-the-counter drugs; over-the-counter pharmaceuticals; and cosmetics.
    Kara Nesvig, Allure, 24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Emmet Pierson, president of Community Builders, has said that rampant crime in the area has been a deterrent for customers and created hazardous working conditions for the store’s employees.
    David Hudnall, Kansas City Star, 24 Apr. 2025
  • Although with the right tools, tough jobs can be a lot easier, faster, and even less hazardous in the case of sharp tools.
    Maggie Horton, People.com, 24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • This will prevent them from losing the deposit paid to take the house off the market, also known as earnest money.
    Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Apr. 2025
  • The episode starts in earnest with final runway looks.
    Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 19 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Nevertheless, supporters are calling the Texas law a major win for the school choice movement.
    Kayla Jimenez, USA Today, 4 May 2025
  • She is based in the CBS News London Bureau, and reports on major events across Europe and the Middle East.
    Elizabeth Palmer, CBS News, 3 May 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Serious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/serious. Accessed 6 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on serious

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!