as in intentness
a mental state free of jesting or trifling
we knew from the doctor's seriousness that she didn't have good news
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of seriousness
Whitehead was also struck by Barer’s seriousness about her work as an agent—commitment to one’s calling being the signature quality of his protagonists.
—
Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 22 June 2026
In all seriousness, this isn’t meant to excuse Tampa Bay for losing a quality player.
—John Romano, The Orlando Sentinel, 21 June 2026
Their outmoded style, with its seriousness and corniness, its big acting choices and low budgets, is basically impossible to recreate without falling into parody.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 19 June 2026
On the ground floor of Hotel de Toiras, with expansive windows overlooking the harbor, Le George’s has a relaxed air that belies the seriousness of its cuisine.
—Caitlin Gunther, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 June 2026
Meningitis can lead to a host of worrisome symptoms that range in seriousness depending on what's causing the infection and inflammation.
—Daryl Austin, USA Today, 18 June 2026
In all seriousness, the midfielder dished that the five-time Ballon d’Or award winner is basically the GOAT.
—Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 16 June 2026
Frederick Douglass did not separate moral clarity from intellectual seriousness.
—The Atlantic, 16 June 2026
But Torres said those facts did not outweigh the seriousness of the allegations.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 15 June 2026
Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 22 June 2026
In all seriousness, this isn’t meant to excuse Tampa Bay for losing a quality player.
—John Romano, The Orlando Sentinel, 21 June 2026
Their outmoded style, with its seriousness and corniness, its big acting choices and low budgets, is basically impossible to recreate without falling into parody.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 19 June 2026
On the ground floor of Hotel de Toiras, with expansive windows overlooking the harbor, Le George’s has a relaxed air that belies the seriousness of its cuisine.
—Caitlin Gunther, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 June 2026
Meningitis can lead to a host of worrisome symptoms that range in seriousness depending on what's causing the infection and inflammation.
—Daryl Austin, USA Today, 18 June 2026
In all seriousness, the midfielder dished that the five-time Ballon d’Or award winner is basically the GOAT.
—Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 16 June 2026
Frederick Douglass did not separate moral clarity from intellectual seriousness.
—The Atlantic, 16 June 2026
But Torres said those facts did not outweigh the seriousness of the allegations.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 15 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for seriousness
Noun
-
Understanding the gravity of a red flag warning and adhering to these precautions is paramount in averting wildfires during these perilous conditions.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
23 June 2026
-
Since that date, the Philadelphia Semiconductor ETF has continued to defy gravity, adding 20%, while the Magnificent 7 as a group is down 10%.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
23 June 2026
Noun
-
Western, for his part, had by this time recovered something of his usual bluster, and began again upon the subject of Blifil, commending his estate and his family with great earnestness, as though these considerations alone ought to have settled the matter long since.—
Jay Caspian Kang,
New Yorker,
2 June 2026
-
Even if the earnestness is genuine, Véliz worries that the use of religious terminology and imagery around AI—deliberately or not—can make honest conversation harder to have.—
Chris Stokel-Walker,
Scientific American,
26 May 2026
Noun
-
Gore is best known for Make America Great Again, her 2016 naked portrait of Trump with the paunch and solemnity of the great men of art history, adding, crucially, the tiniest of compensatory micropenises.—
Eugenie Brinkema,
ARTnews.com,
14 June 2026
-
As his own self-celebration has fizzled, a void has opened between the scheduled roster of events and the true purpose and meaning of the solemnity of July 4, 2026.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
31 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Seriousness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/seriousness. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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