as in earnest
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Recent Examples of serious-minded
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
Inside, serious-minded speakers compete with bursts of music and chanting from neighboring pavilions.
—Jeff Young, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 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
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
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
Inside, serious-minded speakers compete with bursts of music and chanting from neighboring pavilions.
—Jeff Young, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for serious-minded
Adjective
-
Their flock consists largely of interns and junior staffers, earnest but broke.—
Tara Palmeri,
Vanity Fair,
12 Jan. 2026
-
The movie is like a version of Waiting for Guffman (1996) in which the Christopher Guest character was not a buffoon but an earnest striver with grit and (significant) talent.—
Peter Tonguette,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Yoon still faces a trial over the most serious charge against him on accusations of insurrection, multiple sources reported.—
Washington Examiner Staff,
The Washington Examiner,
16 Jan. 2026
-
In addition to the three residents who were hospitalized, three PG&E workers suffered less serious injuries, according to the report.—
Ethan Varian,
Mercury News,
16 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Still, the year comes to a close on a deeply introspective note as Venus and Mercury retrograde through Scorpio in October, prompting reflection around intimacy, trust and emotional truth.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Told in direct in introspective prose, Hjorth is able to conjure the creaky overconfidence of adolescence and all its uncertainties.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Dabis embraces the conventions of melodrama with sombre grace.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
14 Jan. 2026
-
The new teaser starts off serious and somber, much like the past trailers for Captain America, Thor and the X-Men, but then has a humorous moment when the Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) introduces himself to M’Baku (Winston Duke).—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
13 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
More than five hours after the crash, there was a solemn procession off of Route 146 led by Massachusetts State Police, followed by the medical examiner and fellow police officers.—
Anna Meiler,
CBS News,
7 Jan. 2026
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That this is a serious matter—not slight at all—does not oblige the author of a seriously funny book to be solemn.—
Rosa Lyster,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
Many white-collar workers will likely face a philosophical reckoning about what AI means for their profession—one that goes beyond fears of layoffs.—
Sharon Goldman,
Fortune,
8 Jan. 2026
-
For Atlanta, the trade signals a full philosophical reset centered on developing rising talent like Jalen Johnson, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels, Onyeka Okongwu, and rookie Zaccharie Risacher.—
Sam Crenshaw,
CBS News,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
By the time of the party, Eskilsson had stepped down as Tobii’s CEO and was contemplating a sedate life serving on boards.—
Deni Ellis Béchard,
Scientific American,
13 Jan. 2026
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And the Bachman House, a Chicago Landmark since 1992, is a relatively sedate work within Goff’s oeuvre.—
Edward Keegan,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Serious-minded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/serious-minded. Accessed 18 Jan. 2026.
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