as in earnest
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Recent Examples of serious-minded
Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie star as the serious-minded Canadian captain of the Montreal Meteors, and Russian star and playboy Ilya Rozanov of the Boston Raiders, respectively.
—
Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 24 Sep. 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
These ads — presented as teasers, TV spots, and a theatrical trailer that seemed to begin as a very serious-minded tribute to Disney’s great history — served as a delightful introduction to a character that would grow to become one of the studio’s most popular.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 23 May 2025
In 2025, Final Reckoning is exactly the kind of splashy crowd-pleaser that the festival seeks out to both offset and complement its otherwise fairly serious-minded slate of films from all over the world.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 15 May 2025
Rather than strain to add an arthouse veneer (or the climactic reveal of an animating trauma), Coogler offers a true synthesis between serious-minded fiction and B-movie camp.
—Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 22 Apr. 2025
This is funny; Misty, a serious-minded statistician, can’t admit to frivolity.
—Alexandra Schwartz, The New Yorker, 17 Mar. 2025
However, the deeper malaise will take some serious-minded action.
—Tim Ellis, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2025
The banter between Hedges and Scherzer lightened a serious-minded Rangers’ clubhouse.
—Ken Rosenthal, The Athletic, 25 Feb. 2025
Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 24 Sep. 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
These ads — presented as teasers, TV spots, and a theatrical trailer that seemed to begin as a very serious-minded tribute to Disney’s great history — served as a delightful introduction to a character that would grow to become one of the studio’s most popular.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 23 May 2025
In 2025, Final Reckoning is exactly the kind of splashy crowd-pleaser that the festival seeks out to both offset and complement its otherwise fairly serious-minded slate of films from all over the world.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 15 May 2025
Rather than strain to add an arthouse veneer (or the climactic reveal of an animating trauma), Coogler offers a true synthesis between serious-minded fiction and B-movie camp.
—Paul A. Thompson, Pitchfork, 22 Apr. 2025
This is funny; Misty, a serious-minded statistician, can’t admit to frivolity.
—Alexandra Schwartz, The New Yorker, 17 Mar. 2025
However, the deeper malaise will take some serious-minded action.
—Tim Ellis, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2025
The banter between Hedges and Scherzer lightened a serious-minded Rangers’ clubhouse.
—Ken Rosenthal, The Athletic, 25 Feb. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for serious-minded
Adjective
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This was Swift's first and only voice role, which is a shame because her earnest, expressive delivery is perfect for children's media.—
Janey Tracey,
Entertainment Weekly,
2 Oct. 2025
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And that's before the actual opening credits — accompanied by Barry Gray's famous theme tune — have even started in earnest.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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From a potentially serious injury sustained by linebacker Dwight Nunoo to a multitude of mistakes, Saturday’s 51-10 loss to the host Connecticut Huskies (4-2) was devastating to FIU (2-3).—
Walter Villa,
Miami Herald,
5 Oct. 2025
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This was a period of serious violence in Argentina, with the most notable death in footballing terms being the assassination of General Omar Actis, the head of the World Cup organising committee.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
5 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Dessner's collaborations with Swift have been praised for their minimalist instrumentation, introspective storytelling, and atmospheric tone.—
Megan McCluskey,
Time,
2 Oct. 2025
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Her first choice is Blake, an introspective accountant who has also had to process the death of a parent.—
Jennifer Zhan,
Vulture,
1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The cards show your heart has been waking back up from a deep and somber slumber to finally roar more loudly than ever in July.—
Meghan Rose,
Glamour,
1 Oct. 2025
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According to the tabloid site, the couple seemed more somber and tense than usual.—
Lea Veloso,
StyleCaster,
27 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Models walking the runway — staged at the Pinacoteca di Brera museum — had solemn expressions on their faces.—
Kati Chitrakorn,
CNN Money,
29 Sep. 2025
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If anything, their Didi and Gogo (Winter plays the former, the more cerebral and anxious of the two, and Reeves the latter, the disgruntled yet tender beta clown) are still a little on the solemn side.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
29 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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As Mark describes his strategies, his reflections quickly outleap the specifics of the sport and take on a philosophical dimension.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
30 Sep. 2025
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As Alexandra Plakias has noted, philosophical about-faces should not scandalize us; they should be honored.—
Shai Tubali,
Big Think,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Over the centuries, Muslim traders built mosques and schools in sedate Tamale, which was more inland and distant from the direct links of the transatlantic slave and colonial trade.—
Edna Bonhomme,
Artforum,
1 Oct. 2025
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Smith, who is blessed with a muscular singing voice and is an absolute beast on the guitar, brought a party atmosphere to the often-quite-sedate Garden Stage area.—
Jim Harrington,
Mercury News,
28 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Serious-minded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/serious-minded. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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