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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Recent Examples of seriousness
But in all seriousness, don’t sweat it.
—
Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 7 Mar. 2026
Is there any understanding of the seriousness and horror of war?
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 6 Mar. 2026
The faux-seriousness of The Immortal Man is especially egregious when the film plays up the television show’s worst behaviors.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2026
Of course, there’s nothing wrong with wanting to know a dating partner’s level of interest/seriousness.
—R. Eric Thomas, Denver Post, 5 Mar. 2026
Still, Gray’s case stands out among this group for its seriousness.
—Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 4 Mar. 2026
Then there is the fraud problem, which the county has declined to confront with any seriousness.
—Marc Joffe, Daily News, 4 Mar. 2026
Kate Middleton has made several public appearances since then, and her outward presentation reflects the seriousness of the situation.
—Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 3 Mar. 2026
In all seriousness, there’s no template for culture building.
—Joel Lorenzi, New York Times, 2 Mar. 2026
Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 7 Mar. 2026
Is there any understanding of the seriousness and horror of war?
—James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 6 Mar. 2026
The faux-seriousness of The Immortal Man is especially egregious when the film plays up the television show’s worst behaviors.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2026
Of course, there’s nothing wrong with wanting to know a dating partner’s level of interest/seriousness.
—R. Eric Thomas, Denver Post, 5 Mar. 2026
Still, Gray’s case stands out among this group for its seriousness.
—Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 4 Mar. 2026
Then there is the fraud problem, which the county has declined to confront with any seriousness.
—Marc Joffe, Daily News, 4 Mar. 2026
Kate Middleton has made several public appearances since then, and her outward presentation reflects the seriousness of the situation.
—Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 3 Mar. 2026
In all seriousness, there’s no template for culture building.
—Joel Lorenzi, New York Times, 2 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for seriousness
Noun
-
Because Didymos and Dimorphos are so intricately linked together by gravity, changes to one asteroid's orbit is destined to influence the other's, NASA said in a March press release.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
10 Mar. 2026
-
The probe was delayed from 2022, and headed for the asteroid Psyche, using a Mars-gravity assist and not arriving until August 2029.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Frank, played with endearing earnestness by Bale, is more of a big softie than a monster.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 Mar. 2026
-
The Scream series emerged during the age of the New Irony, survived the ensuing New Sincerity, and made it through several other civilizational cycles of earnestness and self-awareness before landing here in today’s era of Nothing Matters and Everything Sucks.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Trump has also spoken out in defense of his handling of the various crises facing his administration — but not nearly with the sort of detail and solemnity that wartime presidents usually speak, experts said.—
Kevin Rector,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Mar. 2026
-
To that point, Lent is not all solemnity.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Seriousness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/seriousness. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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