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
-
Though soaps were not without their occasional levity, the earnest self-seriousness of their proceedings often prevented them from engaging in self-reflexive critique.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
-
None of these fairly typical first-film shortcomings, however, comes at much cost to the film’s relaxed, unexpectedly earnest charm.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
16 May 2026
Adjective
-
The number of teams and bowls involved could shift as discussions become more serious.—
Scott Dochterman,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
-
The announcement comes amid growing scrutiny over e-bikes and e-motorcycles across Southern California following several serious and fatal crashes involving young riders.—
Sydney Barragan,
Oc Register,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
The Pulitzer Prize-winning rapper is known for his introspective lyrics that tackle political and social themes.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
16 May 2026
-
While Kendrick Lamar was conquering the hip-hop world, Rashad was honing an introspective style inspired by Southern hip-hop pioneers like Lil Wayne and OutKast.—
Kelefa Sanneh,
New Yorker,
15 May 2026
Adjective
-
The Atlanta Braves are back home Tuesday night for their game against the Chicago Cubs, but there will be a somber energy as fans fill seats in Truist Park.—
Irene Wright,
USA Today,
12 May 2026
-
Despite the somber mood, some trustees were not convinced that their fate was sealed.—
Jennah Pendleton,
Sacbee.com,
8 May 2026
Adjective
-
The annual solemn ceremony was a kickoff to Patriot Week.—
Paul Burton,
CBS News,
16 May 2026
-
Despite the crowds, the rousing music, and the excitement, Washington’s departure was a solemn affair, freighted by the stunning fact that the American colonies were now truly at war with the British Empire.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 May 2026
Adjective
-
One of the film’s biggest reflections involves a heady discourse on dialectical materialism, a complicated philosophical principle based on how opposing forces and contradictions fuel change.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
18 May 2026
-
Aside from the snail’s contributions to modern armor and material sciences, Copley says, there are philosophical reasons to preserve the future of a creature that lives in an environment as alien and inaccessible to humans as any ecosystem on our planet.—
Adam Kovac,
Scientific American,
15 May 2026
Adjective
-
But lately a new kind of repositioning cruise has emerged, turning what would be a fairly sedate string of days at sea into an adventure in its own right.—
Scott Laird,
Travel + Leisure,
12 May 2026
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Serious-minded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/serious-minded. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
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