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serious

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serious

  • /ˈsɪə.ɹi.əs/ UK
  • /ˈsɪː.ɹi.əs/ UK
  • /ˈsɪɹ.i.əs/
  • /ˈsɛː.ɹi.əs/
  • /ˈsiə.ɹi.əs/ New Zealand
  • /ˈsi.ɹi.əs/ Scotland
  • /ˈsɪə.ɹi.əs/ US
  • /ˈsiɹ.i.əs/ US

Sounds like cereous, Sirius (mirror–nearer merger) · Rhymes with -ɪəɹiəs

Where it comes from

From Middle English seryows, from Old French serieux, from Medieval Latin sēriōsus, an extension of Latin sērius (“grave, earnest, serious”), possibly ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *swer- (“heavy”). (If this root is correct, cognate with German schwer (“heavy, difficult, severe”), Old English swǣr (“heavy, grave, grievous”). More at swear, sweer. (However, see sērius for an alternative derivation of the Latin.)

adjective more serious · most serious

  1. Without humor or expression of happiness; grave in manner or disposition. deadly serious

    Similar: earnest, solemn

  2. Important; weighty; not insignificant. This is a serious problem. We'll need our best experts.

    Similar: desperate

  3. Really intending what is said (or planned, etc); in earnest; not jocular or deceiving. After all these years, we're finally getting serious attention.
  4. of a relationship Committed.

Similar: austere, frightful, demure, serious, grave, earnest, grievous, lack-laughter, thoughtful, sad, sage, saturnine, sedate, solemn, solemncholy, sober, somber, sombre, staid, stern, sweer, weightsome, weighty · Opposite: trifling, unimportant, jesting, gaudy, witty

adverb

  1. colloquial, dialectal, not comparable seriously, in a serious manner (most often heard in take or mean serious) The only time I walk out on singin' is when there's muckin' about and youse don't take it serious.

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: sober, unplayful, sedate, sobering, severe, grievous, hard, difficult, dangerous, critical, overserious, earnest, in earnest, sincere, real, sensible

adjective

Similar: austere, frightful, demure, serious, grave, earnest, grievous, lack-laughter, thoughtful, sad, sage, saturnine, sedate, solemn, solemncholy, sober, somber, sombre, staid, stern, sweer, weightsome, weighty · Opposite: trifling, unimportant, jesting, gaudy, witty

Translations

Every language

adj without humor or expression of happiness

Españolserio
한국어엄숙(嚴肅)하다 eomsukhada, 진지(眞摯)하다 jinjihada
日本語真面目 majime, 真剣 shinken, 本気 honki
中文嚴肅 /严肃 yánsù
हिन्दीगंभीर gambhīr
Portuguêssério
Françaissérieux
Deutschernst, seriös
Italianoserio
Ελληνικάσοβαρός sovarós
Românăserios
Русскийсерьёзный serʹjóznyj
العربيةجِدِّيّ jiddiyy

adj important; weighty; not trifling; leaving no room for play

Españolserio
한국어심각한 simgakhan
日本語真面目 majime, 真剣 shinken, 深刻 shinkoku
中文認真 /认真 rènzhēn, 嚴重 /严重 yánzhòng, 沉重 chénzhòng
Portuguêssério
Françaissérieux
Deutschernst, ernsthaft, schwerwiegend, ernst zu nehmend
Italianoserio, grave, critico
Ελληνικάσπουδαίος spoudaíos
Русскийсерьёзный serʹjóznyj
Tiếng Việtnghiêm trọng
العربيةجَدِّيّ jaddiyy, جَادّ jādd
עבריתרציני r'tsiní

adj really intending what is said; being in earnest

Españolserio
한국어심각한 simgakhan
日本語真面目 majime
中文認真 /认真 rènzhēn, 嚴重 /严重 yánzhòng
Portuguêssério
Françaissérieux
Deutschernsthaft
Italianoserio
Ελληνικάσοβαρός sovarós
Русскийсерьёзный serʹjóznyj
العربيةجَدِّيّ jaddiyy, جَادّ jādd
עבריתרציני r'tsiní

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Cite this
MLA

"serious." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/serious. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

serious. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/serious

Chicago

"serious." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/serious.

BibTeX
@misc{serious_2026,
  title = {serious},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/serious},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}