take (someone or something) seriously
idiom
: to treat (someone or something) as being very important and deserving attention or respect
He takes his religious faith seriously.
She's well qualified for the job, so she hopes the company will take her seriously.
His parents threatened to punish him, but he didn't take them seriously, since he had not been punished before.
Most politicians take themselves too seriously.
Examples of take (someone or something) seriously in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
That’s hard to take seriously no matter what passes as conventional wisdom among real economists.
—
John Tamny, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025
So this is a really important conversation that hopefully, one day, the government will take seriously.
—Christina Dugan Ramirez, FOXNews.com, 28 May 2025
Some investors are finding Trump’s threats hard to take seriously, seeing them as a negotiating tactic for a president unhappy with the lack of progress made on trade talks with the EU — even as the latter was the U.S.‘s largest trading partner by imports in 2024.
—Sarah Min, CNBC, 23 May 2025
While beauty is resilient amid a chaotic backdrop, there are structural changes happening that the industry needs to take seriously, said Stéphane de La Faverie, chief executive officer of the Estée Lauder Cos., at WWD Beauty CEO Summit.
—Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for take (someone or something) seriously
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John Tamny, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025
So this is a really important conversation that hopefully, one day, the government will take seriously.
—Christina Dugan Ramirez, FOXNews.com, 28 May 2025
Some investors are finding Trump’s threats hard to take seriously, seeing them as a negotiating tactic for a president unhappy with the lack of progress made on trade talks with the EU — even as the latter was the U.S.‘s largest trading partner by imports in 2024.
—Sarah Min, CNBC, 23 May 2025
While beauty is resilient amid a chaotic backdrop, there are structural changes happening that the industry needs to take seriously, said Stéphane de La Faverie, chief executive officer of the Estée Lauder Cos., at WWD Beauty CEO Summit.
—Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for take (someone or something) seriously
Cite this Entry
“Take (someone or something) seriously.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20%28someone%20or%20something%29%20seriously. Accessed 23 Jun. 2025.
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