as in earnest
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Recent Examples of serious-minded
Despite decades of asking them in online forums, on social media and to search engines, humans still seem to have an infinite supply of these less-than-serious-minded queries.
—
Heather Kelly, Washington Post, 6 Feb. 2026
The number of places in the world where someone can earn a living making serious-minded fine art has shrunk drastically—now the number of places where people go to prison for rigorous creative action is rising at an alarming speed.
—Diedrich Diederichsen, Artforum, 1 Dec. 2025
Consider the career arc of Lane Monte Kiffin, son of esteemed and very serious-minded defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 28 Nov. 2025
But a bigger problem is that his earnest, hard-working performance can’t help but utilize the same tools now familiar from much less serious-minded contexts.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 12 Nov. 2025
Gore then spent eight years earning a reputation as a smart, serious-minded governing partner to Clinton.
—Time, 3 Nov. 2025
Shane Hollander, the serious-minded captain of the Montreal Meteors, and star and playboy Ilya Rozanov of the Boston Bears are played by Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie, respectively.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2025
In this more serious-minded (and Madea-free) movie from Perry, Idris Elba plays Monty, a hard-working father who loses custody of his daughters to his drug-addled wife (Tasha Smith).
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Sep. 2025
Still, this is an admirably serious-minded attempt to go inside a troubled community that most of us would go out of our way to avoid — showing compassion for a struggle that can frequently be one step forward, two steps back.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Heather Kelly, Washington Post, 6 Feb. 2026
The number of places in the world where someone can earn a living making serious-minded fine art has shrunk drastically—now the number of places where people go to prison for rigorous creative action is rising at an alarming speed.
—Diedrich Diederichsen, Artforum, 1 Dec. 2025
Consider the career arc of Lane Monte Kiffin, son of esteemed and very serious-minded defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 28 Nov. 2025
But a bigger problem is that his earnest, hard-working performance can’t help but utilize the same tools now familiar from much less serious-minded contexts.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 12 Nov. 2025
Gore then spent eight years earning a reputation as a smart, serious-minded governing partner to Clinton.
—Time, 3 Nov. 2025
Shane Hollander, the serious-minded captain of the Montreal Meteors, and star and playboy Ilya Rozanov of the Boston Bears are played by Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie, respectively.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2025
In this more serious-minded (and Madea-free) movie from Perry, Idris Elba plays Monty, a hard-working father who loses custody of his daughters to his drug-addled wife (Tasha Smith).
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Sep. 2025
Still, this is an admirably serious-minded attempt to go inside a troubled community that most of us would go out of our way to avoid — showing compassion for a struggle that can frequently be one step forward, two steps back.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for serious-minded
Adjective
-
Her role as the earnest, free-spirited teen figuring out life in Texas quickly caught fans’ attention after the series premiered in November 2024.—
Lexi Carson,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Foligno always skirted the line between earnest and corny, but nobody ever doubted his sincerity.—
Scott Powers,
New York Times,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Judges, rather than legislators or business leaders, are making serious efforts to address the implications of artificial intelligence for society, as demonstrated by recent federal court rulings on copyright and attorney-client privilege.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Bottega Veneta’s Maxi Veneta bag and those impossible-to-find Jacquemus x Nike Moon shoes give it serious street style cred—reminding us to always incorporate statement accessories amongst everyday essentials.—
Kristina Rutkowski,
Vogue,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Tucked above District Kitchen, Roya offers a more introspective experience.—
Ana Gutierrez,
Austin American Statesman,
7 Mar. 2026
-
In 2021, Junior released $ad Boyz 4 Life, an album that solidified his introspective approach and strengthened his connection with fans.—
Isabela Raygoza,
Billboard,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Elmina, Ghana Africa's shores may be beautiful, but there's a somber history beyond the sun and sand.—
Melanie van Zyl,
Travel + Leisure,
6 Mar. 2026
-
The morning may feel more somber and reflective, yet by midday, the vibe smooths into something more cooperative and actionable.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Comedian Chris Tucker added some levity to the solemn services with a stand-up set.—
Matt Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Mar. 2026
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Also present for the solemn event were governors and senators from Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska and Florida.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Readers send Miss Manners not only their table and party questions, but those involving the more complicated aspects of life - romance, work, family relationships, child-rearing, death - as well as philosophical and moral dilemmas.—
Judith Martin,
Dallas Morning News,
28 Feb. 2026
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For Stone Rolla Media, SR2 marks a technical and philosophical milestone and proof that technology and artistry can coexist without compromise.—
Jason Phillips,
USA Today,
27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The Olympic scandal rocked the usually sedate world of curling — a sport that tends to fall off the radar outside the Olympics.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 Mar. 2026
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The orchestra in the main ballroom, which accomodated thousands of dancers, played waltzes and also other dances, even sedate rock ‘n’ roll.—
Marla Jo Fisher,
Oc Register,
18 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Serious-minded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/serious-minded. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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