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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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for serious
Adjective
  • Its fun-first identity is part of the draw in a market flooded with solemn storytelling and dusty barrels.
    Hudson Lindenberger, Forbes.com, 8 July 2025
  • Moderator Whoopi Goldberg opened the show with a solemn acknowledgment of the disaster, urging viewers in affected areas to stay safe and tune in for information on how to help.
    Heather Hunter, The Washington Examiner, 7 July 2025
Adjective
  • This is important, because academic research has shown that financial literacy educational programs need to generate a sense of excitement in order to have an impact.
    Hersh Shefrin, Forbes.com, 6 July 2025
  • Yes, even more important than excellence in math and science.
    Linda McMahon, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 July 2025
Adjective
  • After landing, the most dangerous times, statistically speaking, are takeoff, approach, and initial climb.
    Katie Jackson, Travel + Leisure, 29 June 2025
  • 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
Adjective
  • Students reported a range of misfortunes, including severe injuries from car accidents, pregnancy complications, depression, PTSD, blindness and chronic illness—all conditions that could befall any STEM major at any time.
    Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 June 2025
  • 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
Adjective
  • Through their new Up Payment program, Progressive is helping more first-time and first-gen buyers take that first big step. Take out your phones and scan the QR code on the screen — or visit progressive.com/openthehouse — to start your journey today.
    Essence, Essence, 6 July 2025
  • The former professional baseball player created a big alliance of six people early on in the game and proceeded to add two more names without letting anyone else in the alliance know.
    Christopher Rudolph, People.com, 5 July 2025
Adjective
  • By taking on hazardous or monotonous jobs, AEON allows human workers to focus on higher-value activities, helping companies remain competitive in a rapidly evolving landscape.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 5 July 2025
  • Remain in port, seek safe harbor, alter course, and/or secure the vessel for hazardous conditions.
    Adeola Adeosun, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 July 2025
Adjective
  • Similarly, Barnes and Saenz de Viteri’s work appears at first all winky smiles, earnest exuberance and breezy dialogue layered over flailing arms, speedy footwork and spoken self-deprecating asides, often set to a Golden Oldies soundtrack.
    Brian Schaefer July 7, Literary Hub, 7 July 2025
  • Keen home cook Erin Patterson hosted an intimate meal in July 2023 that started with good-natured banter and earnest prayer — but ended with three guests dead.
    Preston Fore, Fortune, 7 July 2025
Adjective
  • April 2025 The Six of Swords: There is major transition and movement afoot for you this month, Libra.
    Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 July 2025
  • 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

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Cite this Entry

“Serious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/serious. Accessed 11 Jul. 2025.

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