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

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Shareholder activists have evolved over the years, from a niche group of daring individuals to a sophisticated and well-funded class of investors that boards must take seriously. —

Jeff Jacobs, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024 During the primary season, Bernie Sanders, a politician whom the Democratic establishment didn’t take seriously, performed unexpectedly well by running to the left of Hillary Clinton on economic issues. —

Nicholas Lemann, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2024 But Don Gato is being marketed as an additive-free brand, something that tequila fans do take seriously. —

Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 25 Oct. 2024 But there’s a risk here, and one Democrats would do well to take seriously. —

Philip Elliott, TIME, 16 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for take (someone or something) seriously

Dictionary Entries Near take (someone or something) seriously

take (someone or something) by surprise

take (someone or something) seriously

take (someone) prisoner

See More Nearby Entries

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“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 15 Nov. 2024.

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