as in earnest
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Recent Examples of serious-minded
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
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, 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
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
-
His discreet thumbs-up and Natalie’s happy reaction make for the most earnest moment of the episode.—
Ben Rosenstock,
Vulture,
20 Oct. 2025
-
There are no silly songs, just earnest covers strategically placed throughout the set to move along its storytelling.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Rule out any more serious conditions.—
RikkiLynn Shields Hannigan,
Health,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Springsteen has been open over the years about navigating depression, which began to get serious during his early 30s.—
Jordana Comiter,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The second half of the album finds Snider feeling heavily introspective.—
Josh Crutchmer,
Rolling Stone,
17 Oct. 2025
-
Edgerton’s lead performance is spectacular but quiet and introspective.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Nuno’s sombre facial expression did little to mask his dread over the club’s plight.—
Roshane Thomas,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Sixty-two years after that somber swearing-in, the central figures who were on board Air Force One have passed away, among them Johnson, his wife, Lady Bird, Jackie Kennedy and Hughes.—
Susan Page,
USA Today,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Banners hang from the eaves of many houses, a solemn reminder to mark where residents were either killed or kidnapped.—
NBC News,
NBC news,
8 Oct. 2025
-
Yom Kippur is the most solemn Jewish holiday, marking the end of the 10 Days of Repentance that begin with Rosh Hashanah.—
Jose R. Gonzalez,
AZCentral.com,
1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
And in each individual voice there are echoes of other voices, contemporary or past, written or oral, political or philosophical, from the Bible or from newspaper articles, rumors about town, memories of someone long dead.—
Karl Ove Knausgaard,
New Yorker,
21 Oct. 2025
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What begins as an act of solitude unfolds into an unexpected encounter with both people and places gradually evolving into a quiet yet intense philosophical exchange that unearths themes of displacement, trauma and renewal.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
20 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
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 28 Oct. 2025.
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