1
as in solemn
not joking or playful in mood or manner
I'm serious when I say that no one should be walking in that neighborhood at night
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in important
having a matter of importance as its topic
a very serious film that dealt with the aftermath of the Gulf War
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in dangerous
involving potential loss or injury
a serious accident
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 serious
The pedestrian, a 77-year-old woman from Independence, was transported to a hospital with serious injuries.
—
Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 20 Sep. 2025
Meaning millions of borrowers are now at serious risk of default.
—Cory Turner, NPR, 19 Sep. 2025
The panel’s members delayed until Friday reviewing the guidance for vaccinating newborns against hepatitis B , which can cause serious liver infections and cancer.
—Grant Stringer, Mercury News, 19 Sep. 2025
Even 6 inches of moving water can pose a serious risk of knocking you off your feet.
—Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for serious
Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 20 Sep. 2025
Meaning millions of borrowers are now at serious risk of default.
—Cory Turner, NPR, 19 Sep. 2025
The panel’s members delayed until Friday reviewing the guidance for vaccinating newborns against hepatitis B , which can cause serious liver infections and cancer.
—Grant Stringer, Mercury News, 19 Sep. 2025
Even 6 inches of moving water can pose a serious risk of knocking you off your feet.
—Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for serious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for serious
Adjective
-
On Monday, her husband, the Duke of Kent, and daughter Lady Helen Taylor appeared solemn as her coffin was taken by hearse from Kensington Palace to Westminster Cathedral for a private vigil.—
Jack Royston,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Sep. 2025
-
No happening is too solemn, in this world, for a heaping portion of unabashed self-promotion.—
Vinson Cunningham,
New Yorker,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
There has never been a more important time than right now.—
Adeola Adeosun,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Sep. 2025
-
Trout’s injuries over the last five seasons will likely rob him of the chance to reach some of baseball’s most important milestones.—
Sam Blum,
New York Times,
21 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Demonizing or attempting to eliminate those who think differently – literally or symbolically – has become a dangerous norm, which is all too evident in the wake of the Kirk shooting.—
Arash Javanbakht,
The Conversation,
15 Sep. 2025
-
During volatile periods, this becomes especially dangerous because customer loyalty becomes more fragile and harder to rebuild.—
Talbott Roche,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
But the ground level faces severe flooding risks through a combination of rainstorms and earthquakes that bring soil water to the surface, per a study conducted in 2016 by the San Francisco Bay Conservation & Development Commission.—
Shomik Mukherjee,
Mercury News,
20 Sep. 2025
-
For more severe and potentially life-threatening infections, symptoms may include headaches, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions.—
Peter Aitken,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Housed in a tube that’s significantly bigger than most brow gels, the fatter, curved side of the spoolie brush applies the product and fluffs up brows, while the flat side arranges arches.—
Sophia Panych,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Save from isolated slip-ups, all addressed by and mended with the captain, there were no big issues.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Repetitive, low-skill and high-risk tasks such as patrolling remote sites or working in hazardous environments will be left in capable digital hands, reducing exposure risks and improving operational continuity.—
Freddy Kuo,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
-
Hornet’s downward slash is the primary means of parrying and lining up another attack or traversing over stretches of hazardous pits.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The company’s events tend to skew earnest for fashion, and this one was no exception, beginning with an address by Yanai—translated live from Japanese, via headsets—featuring various charts and graphs.—
Lauren Collins,
New Yorker,
15 Sep. 2025
-
His interest in deescalation seemed earnest and pleading.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Though Azerbaijan now held Nagorno-Karabakh, several major issues remained.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
21 Sep. 2025
-
Unsportsmanlike conduct is a major emphasis for the NFL.—
Mark Kern,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Serious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/serious. Accessed 23 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share