English Explanatory Dictionary

serious

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. Without humor or expression of happiness; grave in manner or disposition.
  2. Important; weighty; not insignificant.
  3. Really intending what is said (or planned, etc); in earnest; not jocular or deceiving.
  4. Committed.
adv
  1. seriously, in a serious manner (most often heard in take or mean serious)

Pronunciation

/ˈsɪə̯.ɹi.əs/ /ˈsɪː.ɹi.əs/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Back ache-serious.wav /ˈsɪɹ.i.əs/ en-us-serious.ogg /ˈsɪɚ.i.əs/ /ˈsiɹ.i.əs/ /ˈsiə.ɹi.əs/ /ˈsi.ɹi.əs/ /ˈsɛː.ɹi.əs/

Word forms

serious more serious most serious

Etymology

From Middle English seryows, from Old French serieux, from Medieval Latin sēriōsus, an extension of Latin sērius (“grave, earnest, serious”), from Proto-Indo-European *swer- (“heavy”). Cognate with German schwer (“heavy, difficult, severe”), Old English swǣr (“heavy, grave, grievous”). More at swear, sweer.

Synonyms

austere frightful demure serious grave earnest grievous lack-laughter thoughtful sad sage saturnine sedate solemn solemncholy sober somber sombre staid stern sweer weightsome weighty desperate

Antonyms

trifling unimportant jesting gaudy witty

Related words

important sullen

Derived words

ha ha only serious hyperserious jocoserious nonserious overserious self-serious semiserious seriositude serious as a heart attack seriously serious-minded serious-mindedly serious-mindedness seriousness srs superserious take serious ultraserious unserious why so serious
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