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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of seriousness
The work to preserve our government requires secrecy and seriousness.
—
Josh Meyer, USA Today, 31 May 2026
How ‘Clean Slate’ laws work States have a legal process in which people can petition the courts to seal or expunge old arrests or convictions, depending on the seriousness of the offense and after a certain period of time.
—Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 30 May 2026
Orange County leadership has already begun discussing how to respond to the rise in injuries, and I am encouraged by their willingness to engage this issue with seriousness and care.
—Myron Rolle, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 May 2026
This simple setup makes particularly smart use of host Dakota Johnson, whose relatively flat affect isn’t a natural fit for live network sketch comedy but works perfectly for the seriousness of the fake horror heroine.
—Jesse Hassenger, Entertainment Weekly, 28 May 2026
What distinguishes this moment from previous regional tech ambitions that never achieved critical mass is the seriousness of the infrastructure commitment behind it.
—Patrick Chun, Fortune, 26 May 2026
Shortly after fire officials learned the seriousness of the threat, local authorities issued evacuation orders that affected about 40,000 of Garden Grove’s 172,000 residents, according to The Orange County Register.
—William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 25 May 2026
Now, as ever, there may be some who hold McCartney’s cherubic good will against him, as a badge of insufficient seriousness.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 23 May 2026
In my experience, the timing is right when expectations have been properly framed, emotions have settled, the parties have demonstrated seriousness, and there is more to gain from collaboration than from posturing.
—Allen Buchanan, Oc Register, 23 May 2026
Josh Meyer, USA Today, 31 May 2026
How ‘Clean Slate’ laws work States have a legal process in which people can petition the courts to seal or expunge old arrests or convictions, depending on the seriousness of the offense and after a certain period of time.
—Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 30 May 2026
Orange County leadership has already begun discussing how to respond to the rise in injuries, and I am encouraged by their willingness to engage this issue with seriousness and care.
—Myron Rolle, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 May 2026
This simple setup makes particularly smart use of host Dakota Johnson, whose relatively flat affect isn’t a natural fit for live network sketch comedy but works perfectly for the seriousness of the fake horror heroine.
—Jesse Hassenger, Entertainment Weekly, 28 May 2026
What distinguishes this moment from previous regional tech ambitions that never achieved critical mass is the seriousness of the infrastructure commitment behind it.
—Patrick Chun, Fortune, 26 May 2026
Shortly after fire officials learned the seriousness of the threat, local authorities issued evacuation orders that affected about 40,000 of Garden Grove’s 172,000 residents, according to The Orange County Register.
—William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 25 May 2026
Now, as ever, there may be some who hold McCartney’s cherubic good will against him, as a badge of insufficient seriousness.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 23 May 2026
In my experience, the timing is right when expectations have been properly framed, emotions have settled, the parties have demonstrated seriousness, and there is more to gain from collaboration than from posturing.
—Allen Buchanan, Oc Register, 23 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for seriousness
Noun
-
Gravitational waves were first proposed in 1915 as part of Albert Einstein's theory of gravity, known as general relativity.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
1 June 2026
-
But neither have the gravitas or gravity of Garrett, one of the few in the NFL who compare to former Ram Aaron Donald in terms of how much his presence will suck up the time of opposing offensive coordinators as they game plan.—
Adam Grosbard,
Oc Register,
1 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
-
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
-
All the secrecy and almost solemnity added to the anticipation of a launch that was five years in the making.—
Charlotte Reed,
CNBC,
29 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Seriousness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/seriousness. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
