Definition of SERIOUS

serious

Adjective

  • Thoughtful or subdued in manner; not joking or trifling.
  • concerned with work or important matters rather than play or trivialities
    • "a serious student of history"
    • "a serious attempt to learn to ski"
    • "gave me a serious look"
    • "a serious young man"
    • "are you serious or joking?"
    • "Don't be so serious!"
  • completely lacking in playfulness

Adjective Satellite

  • of great consequence
    • "marriage is a serious matter"
  • causing fear or anxiety by threatening great harm
    • "a serious wound"
    • "a serious turn of events"
  • appealing to the mind
    • "a serious book"
  • requiring effort or concentration; complex and not easy to answer or solve
    • "raised serious objections to the proposal"
    • "the plan has a serious flaw"

Adj

  • Without humor or expression of happiness; grave in manner or disposition
  • Important; weighty; not insignificant
  • Really intending what is said (or planned, etc); in earnest; not jocular or deceiving
  • Committed.

Adv

  • seriously, in a serious manner (most often heard in take or mean serious)

Examples

  • After all these years, we're finally getting serious attention.
  • deadly serious
  • He says he wants to buy the team, but is he serious?
  • His opponent’s SERIOUS expression revealed the intensity of the Scrabble game, even in friendly competition.
  • It was a surprise to see the captain, who had always seemed so serious, laugh so heartily.
  • This is a serious problem. We'll need our best experts.

Origin / 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.

Scrabble Score: 7

serious: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
serious: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
serious: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 8

serious: valid Words With Friends Word