as in earnest
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Recent Examples of serious-minded
Despite decades of asking them in online forums, on social media and to search engines, humans still seem to have an infinite supply of these less-than-serious-minded queries.
—
Heather Kelly, Washington Post, 6 Feb. 2026
The number of places in the world where someone can earn a living making serious-minded fine art has shrunk drastically—now the number of places where people go to prison for rigorous creative action is rising at an alarming speed.
—Diedrich Diederichsen, Artforum, 1 Dec. 2025
Consider the career arc of Lane Monte Kiffin, son of esteemed and very serious-minded defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 28 Nov. 2025
But a bigger problem is that his earnest, hard-working performance can’t help but utilize the same tools now familiar from much less serious-minded contexts.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 12 Nov. 2025
Gore then spent eight years earning a reputation as a smart, serious-minded governing partner to Clinton.
—Time, 3 Nov. 2025
Shane Hollander, the serious-minded captain of the Montreal Meteors, and star and playboy Ilya Rozanov of the Boston Bears are played by Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie, respectively.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2025
In this more serious-minded (and Madea-free) movie from Perry, Idris Elba plays Monty, a hard-working father who loses custody of his daughters to his drug-addled wife (Tasha Smith).
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Sep. 2025
Still, this is an admirably serious-minded attempt to go inside a troubled community that most of us would go out of our way to avoid — showing compassion for a struggle that can frequently be one step forward, two steps back.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Heather Kelly, Washington Post, 6 Feb. 2026
The number of places in the world where someone can earn a living making serious-minded fine art has shrunk drastically—now the number of places where people go to prison for rigorous creative action is rising at an alarming speed.
—Diedrich Diederichsen, Artforum, 1 Dec. 2025
Consider the career arc of Lane Monte Kiffin, son of esteemed and very serious-minded defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 28 Nov. 2025
But a bigger problem is that his earnest, hard-working performance can’t help but utilize the same tools now familiar from much less serious-minded contexts.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 12 Nov. 2025
Gore then spent eight years earning a reputation as a smart, serious-minded governing partner to Clinton.
—Time, 3 Nov. 2025
Shane Hollander, the serious-minded captain of the Montreal Meteors, and star and playboy Ilya Rozanov of the Boston Bears are played by Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie, respectively.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2025
In this more serious-minded (and Madea-free) movie from Perry, Idris Elba plays Monty, a hard-working father who loses custody of his daughters to his drug-addled wife (Tasha Smith).
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Sep. 2025
Still, this is an admirably serious-minded attempt to go inside a troubled community that most of us would go out of our way to avoid — showing compassion for a struggle that can frequently be one step forward, two steps back.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for serious-minded
Adjective
-
Only a couple of tech companies took the earnest route, like Google’s heartwarming spot about a mother and young son dreaming up what their new home might look like using its own AI offering, Gemini.—
Julia Black,
Vanity Fair,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Super Bowl food is a distinct category in and of itself — a mix of the homegrown, earnest potluck with the fast food America is known for.—
Mike Snider,
AZCentral.com,
7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
In a statement to NBC News, Daiichi Sankyo, which makes Savaysa, said that the drug is used to reduce the risk of stroke and clots but added that anticoagulants can increase the risk of serious bleeding.—
David Cox,
NBC news,
5 Feb. 2026
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Many of these people had been charged with serious crimes like assaulting security officers or bus and train operators, weapons possession, or threatening drivers.—
Amber Gaudet
Updated February 5,
Charlotte Observer,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The energy of this space is raw, so be ready to be a bit introspective, present, and fall right into the unique beat of Berghain.—
Jessica Chapel,
Condé Nast Traveler,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Armed with cultural relevance, introspective lyricism and genre-defying artistry, this album further cemented his dominance not just in música urbana but in popular culture overall, elevating him to true household-name status.—
Sigal Ratner-Arias,
Billboard,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Guthrie's three children also shared a somber and tearful plea that evening, asking for their mother to be returned home after her disappearance, now in its fifth day.—
Helen Rummel,
AZCentral.com,
5 Feb. 2026
-
The western Maryland battleground still carries a somber, haunting energy, a reminder of the war’s steep cost.—
Torrey Snow,
Baltimore Sun,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Queen Emma was the first to wear the sapphire tiara in official portraits and solemn ceremonies, setting a precedent that her successors respected.—
Marta Martínez Tato,
Vanity Fair,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Good Friday is a solemn day for Christians, who may reflect, fast and attend special church services.—
Bebe Hodges,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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In his op-ed reflecting on the texts, the secretary takes to task the Westminster establishment that allowed Mandelson’s selection, but also waxes philosophical about sexism, diversity, and inclusion.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
10 Feb. 2026
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Readers send Miss Manners not only their table and party questions, but those involving the more complicated aspects of life - romance, work, family relationships, child-rearing, death - as well as philosophical and moral dilemmas.—
Judith Martin,
Dallas Morning News,
7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
His bends and sighs can be heard on records from Mouth Painter, North Americans, the Rose City Band and Jeffrey Silverstein, not to mention a string of solo albums both alone and with various bands (the post-rocking Tanks, the more sedate Unit).—
Daniel Bromfield,
Pitchfork,
11 Feb. 2026
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In today’s relatively cold and diffuse universe, quarks have settled down to sedate lives within their protonic and neutronic homes.—
Joseph Howlett,
Scientific American,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Serious-minded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/serious-minded. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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