as in intentness
a mental state free of jesting or trifling
we knew from the doctor's seriousness that she didn't have good news
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 seriousness
Critical infrastructure must assume persistent aerial observation as a baseline condition of operations, and operators must rehearse drone incidents with the same seriousness as cyberattacks or active shooter scenarios.
—
Bill Edwards,
Forbes.com,
29 June 2026
Far from being disengaged from the city’s fiscal challenges, residents demonstrated a clear understanding of the seriousness of this issue to the future of Chicago.
—
Karen Freeman-Wilson,
Chicago Tribune,
29 June 2026
Some materials arrive fluent in the performance of seriousness.
—
Literary Hub,
26 June 2026
Torn between the seriousness of violence, and the comedy of failure and ineptitude, most directors find a way out of this conundrum by resorting to extremely dark humor.
—
Elena Lazic,
Variety,
26 June 2026
But its dire wolf announcement, in which only a tiny handful of genetic changes were edited in to grey wolves, have raised some questions about its seriousness regarding these efforts.
—
John Timmer,
ArsTechnica,
25 June 2026
There’s a focused seriousness present in their writing that combines political reality with a sense of urgency.
—
Sean Murphy,
The Conversation,
25 June 2026
During 1-on-1 games, Brown’s seriousness opened teammate Jordan Walsh’s eyes.
—
Jay King,
New York Times,
23 June 2026
Whitehead was also struck by Barer’s seriousness about her work as an agent—commitment to one’s calling being the signature quality of his protagonists.
—
Julian Lucas,
New Yorker,
22 June 2026
Bill Edwards,
Forbes.com,
29 June 2026
Far from being disengaged from the city’s fiscal challenges, residents demonstrated a clear understanding of the seriousness of this issue to the future of Chicago.
—
Karen Freeman-Wilson,
Chicago Tribune,
29 June 2026
Some materials arrive fluent in the performance of seriousness.
—
Literary Hub,
26 June 2026
Torn between the seriousness of violence, and the comedy of failure and ineptitude, most directors find a way out of this conundrum by resorting to extremely dark humor.
—
Elena Lazic,
Variety,
26 June 2026
But its dire wolf announcement, in which only a tiny handful of genetic changes were edited in to grey wolves, have raised some questions about its seriousness regarding these efforts.
—
John Timmer,
ArsTechnica,
25 June 2026
There’s a focused seriousness present in their writing that combines political reality with a sense of urgency.
—
Sean Murphy,
The Conversation,
25 June 2026
During 1-on-1 games, Brown’s seriousness opened teammate Jordan Walsh’s eyes.
—
Jay King,
New York Times,
23 June 2026
Whitehead was also struck by Barer’s seriousness about her work as an agent—commitment to one’s calling being the signature quality of his protagonists.
—
Julian Lucas,
New Yorker,
22 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for seriousness
Noun
-
Her concept of gravity draws on both East and West, on karma and original sin.
-
The probe was delayed from 2022, and headed for the asteroid Psyche, using a Mars-gravity assist and not arriving until August 2029.
Noun
-
As these events unfold, Early’s earnestness blurs comedy and drama, to surprisingly heartfelt effect.
-
Western, for his part, had by this time recovered something of his usual bluster, and began again upon the subject of Blifil, commending his estate and his family with great earnestness, as though these considerations alone ought to have settled the matter long since.
Noun
-
Gore is best known for Make America Great Again, her 2016 naked portrait of Trump with the paunch and solemnity of the great men of art history, adding, crucially, the tiniest of compensatory micropenises.
-
As his own self-celebration has fizzled, a void has opened between the scheduled roster of events and the true purpose and meaning of the solemnity of July 4, 2026.
Cite this Entry
“Seriousness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/seriousness. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
