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[ adjective ] concerned with work or important matters rather than play or trivialities
Examples "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!" Used in print (The Dallas Morning News,...)The report called racial discrimination in employment `` one of the most serious causes of family breakdown , desertion , and ADC dependency '' . (The New York Times,...)For a serious young_man who plays golf with a serious intensity , Palmer has such an inherent sense_of_humor that it relieves the strain and keeps his nerves from jangling like banjo strings . For a serious young_man who plays golf with a serious intensity , Palmer has such an inherent sense_of_humor that it relieves the strain and keeps his nerves from jangling like banjo strings . ("Editorials"...)This may be opera_bouffe now , but it will become more serious should the cold_war mount in frenzy . (High Fidelity, 11:10...)This is a serious minded interpretation , but it is never strait-laced . Related terms frivolous grave real earnest sensible sobering overserious capital seriousness |
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[ adjective ] of great consequence
Examples "marriage is a serious matter" Used in print (Chicago Daily Tribune...)Hindemith 's joust with Weber tunes was a considerably more serious misfortune , for it demands translucent textures , buoyant rhythms , and astringent wit . So the Kirov will fly back to Russia , minus a Chicago engagement , a serious loss for dance fans - and for the frustrated bookers , cancellation of one of the richest bookings in the country . (Edward Austin Walton, "On Education for the Interior...)We may then dismiss the time difference between these courses and the usual four year course of the interior_design student as not having serious bearing on the subject . (Robert A. Futterman, The Future of Our Cities....)And if the affection for the suburban branch reflects a desire to shop with `` nice people '' , rather than with the indiscriminate urban mass which supports the downtown department_store , the central location may be in serious trouble . Related terms |
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[ adjective ] causing fear or anxiety by threatening great harm
Examples "a dangerous operation" "a grave situation" "a grave illness" "grievous bodily harm" "a serious wound" "a serious turn of events" "a severe case of pneumonia" Used in print (Jack Kaplan, "The Health Machine Menace: Therapy by...)Rather , it is typical of the thousands of quacks who use phony therapeutic devices to fatten themselves on the miseries of hundreds of thousands of Americans by robbing them of millions of dollars and luring them away from legitimate , ethical medical treatment of serious diseases . (J. W. C. Hagstrom et al., "Debilitating muscular...)Muscle weakness is now recognized as an uncommon though serious complication of steroid therapy , with most of the synthetic adrenal corticosteroids in clinical use . (Jim Berry Pearson, The Maxwell Land Grant....)Cattle stealing and killing , again serious during the spring of 1891 , placed the land_grant company officers in a perplexing position . (Tristram Coffin, Not to the Swift....)It just did n't occur to Trig that anything serious would happen to him . Related terms |
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[ adjective ] causing fear or anxiety by threatening great harm
Synonyms Examples "a dangerous operation" "a grave situation" "a grave illness" "grievous bodily harm" "a serious wound" "a serious turn of events" "a severe case of pneumonia" "a life-threatening disease" Related terms |
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[ adjective ] appealing to the mind
Synonyms Examples "good music" "a serious book" Used in print (The Christian Science Monitor,...)By trying to be both a serious survey of a bygone era and a showcase for today 's artists , the program turned_out to be a not quite perfect example of either . Related terms |
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[ adjective ] completely lacking in playfulness
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[ adjective ] requiring effort or concentration; complex and not easy to answer or solve
Examples "raised serious objections to the proposal" "the plan has a serious flaw" Related terms |
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