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
-
There can, of course, be earnest debates about diversity initiatives.—
Scott Maxwell,
Sun Sentinel,
9 May 2026
-
What if the space race hadn’t ended and humanity had kept pushing into the stars in earnest?—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
9 May 2026
Adjective
-
Regardless, much of the developing world is made up of much younger countries, with populations in Africa, for example, at much lower risk of serious outcomes from COVID-19 than elderly individuals with comorbidities in the United States or Western Europe.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2026
-
If swallowed, button cell or coin batteries can cause severe internal chemical burns, serious injuries and death, the agency said.—
Anthony Thompson,
USA Today,
7 May 2026
Adjective
-
Her amused, introspective grace juggling a vast cast of (wonderful) characters and (fascinating) relationships means the true story at the center here ends up playing second fiddle.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 May 2026
-
Season two is quieter, narrower, and more introspective than season one, and yet despite that smaller focus leading the season to neglect some of its best assets, The Pitt still runs circles around every other medical drama on TV.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
4 May 2026
Adjective
-
This is a somber, aching sequence for Bernthal, which Storer shoots from down at his and Ireland’s level, in a long take that is now customary for this show.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
5 May 2026
-
When Francophiles aligned with Jefferson wore tricolor cockades, Washington’s men responded with sombre black ones.—
Daniel Immerwahr,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
Adjective
-
On May 1, Maryland observed Fallen Heroes Day, a solemn reminder of the extraordinary sacrifice made by the men and women who answer the call to serve others.—
Nick Stewart,
Baltimore Sun,
9 May 2026
-
Protesters carried myriad homemade signs, some tongue-in-cheek, some more solemn.—
Rebecca Noel,
Charlotte Observer,
2 May 2026
Adjective
-
Robinson is warmly theological where Ishiguro is bleakly philosophical, lyrically expansive where Ishiguro is almost blandly lucid.—
James Wood,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
Because there isn’t a prospect separating from the pack, who wins the lottery will, in part, dictate which player goes first, depending on organizational need and philosophical preference.—
Corey Pronman,
New York Times,
4 May 2026
Adjective
-
At 113 feet tall, the one-time tallest coaster in the world seems almost sedate by today’s thrill ride standards.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
4 May 2026
-
Shore Excursions Shore excursions range from highly active adventures to more sedate cultural experiences.—
Aaron Saunders,
Travel + Leisure,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Serious-minded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/serious-minded. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
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