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a serious injury
a significant injury
a severe injury
a substantial injury
a major injury
an intense injury
serious questions
legitimate questions
sincere questions
genuine questions
sensible questions
tough questions
a serious concern
a substantial concern
a significant concern
a considerable concern
a major concern
an important concern
serious doubts
immense doubts
strong doubts
severe doubts
massive doubts
a serious effort
a huge effort
a considerable effort
a substantial effort
a real effort
a sincere effort

Synonym Chooser

How is the word serious different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of serious are earnest, grave, sedate, sober, solemn, and staid. While all these words mean "not light or frivolous," serious implies a concern for what really matters.

a serious play about social injustice

In what contexts can earnest take the place of serious?

Although the words earnest and serious have much in common, earnest suggests sincerity or often zealousness of purpose.

an earnest reformer

When would grave be a good substitute for serious?

While in some cases nearly identical to serious, grave implies both seriousness and dignity in expression or attitude.

read the proclamation in a grave voice

When is it sensible to use sedate instead of serious?

While the synonyms sedate and serious are close in meaning, sedate implies a composed and decorous seriousness.

remained sedate amid the commotion

Where would sober be a reasonable alternative to serious?

The words sober and serious are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, sober stresses seriousness of purpose and absence of levity or frivolity.

a sober look at the state of our schools

When might solemn be a better fit than serious?

The synonyms solemn and serious are sometimes interchangeable, but solemn suggests an impressive gravity utterly free from levity.

a sad and solemn occasion

When is staid a more appropriate choice than serious?

In some situations, the words staid and serious are roughly equivalent. However, staid suggests a settled, accustomed sedateness and prim self-restraint.

a quiet and staid community

Examples of serious in a Sentence

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.
Recent Examples on the Web Bacon himself has starred in some serious spine-tinglers, such as Tremors, Flatliners, and Stir of Echoes. Raechal Shewfelt, EW.com, 5 Nov. 2024 Though Moss could end up returning at some point, his neck injury might be far more serious in nature, leading to his 2024 season ending, and potentially more. Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024 Among the most serious: the French occupation of German industrial sites when Germany fell behind in its reparation payments, leading to catastrophic inflation in 1923. Christine Adams / Made By History, TIME, 5 Nov. 2024 Alo’s is perfect for more serious insulation, while Intimissimi’s is best for a lighter, more versatile layer. Cortne Bonilla, Vogue, 5 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for serious 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for serious
Adjective
  • Their presence is solemn and, at the same time, festive, an echo of past times that rings with each step.
    Arath Zumaya Muñoz, Vogue, 2 Nov. 2024
  • But the parents recognize their son has had a more solemn tangible legacy too — by helping strangers with his organ donations.
    Brian Brant, People.com, 27 Oct. 2024
Adjective
  • Why is shopping at local, independent bookstores important?
    American Booksellers Association, USA TODAY, 2 Nov. 2024
  • From career milestones to new music releases to major announcements and those little important moments, Billboard editors highlight uplifting moments in Latin music.
    Griselda Flores, Billboard, 2 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to NBC News’ request for comment regarding some advocates’ concerns that a second Trump term would be dangerous for transgender Americans.
    Jo Yurcaba, NBC News, 6 Nov. 2024
  • This phishing technique is particularly dangerous because of its strategic design: • No Malicious Links or Attachments: Many phishing attempts are detected by email filters looking for suspicious links or attachments.
    Lars Daniel, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • Hurricane Oscar made landfall in far eastern Cuba around the same time as the blackout, throwing a one-two punch that has sapped precious resources in a country suffering from severe shortages of food, fuel and medicine.
    Reuters, NBC News, 7 Nov. 2024
  • Bill undergoes a moral crisis when his path crosses with a wretched head nun (Emily Watson) at a convent that’s part of the notorious Magdalene Laundries — a place of severe abuse of women.
    Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • The menu plays a big role in that, with options to get a wild boar chorizo slider or one with roasted buffalo tongue.
    Amanda Hancock, The Courier-Journal, 2 Nov. 2024
  • In previous years, these were the biggest challenges our boxwoods faced.
    Chris McKeown, The Enquirer, 2 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • Who knew this fun at-home manicure trend could be so hazardous?
    Melissa Willets, Parents, 30 Oct. 2024
  • The training scenarios in the VR world are used to train on situations that are too hazardous and difficult to train on in the real world.
    John Clemons, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024
Adjective
  • However, there has been a growing trend of combining earnest and heartfelt storytelling with an educational bent.
    Sonya Rehman, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
  • But this overly sentimental, unduly earnest journey based on Richard McGuire's graphic novel is more gimmick than substance, one overflowing with moments and characters that proves ultimately unfulfilling.
    Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 31 Oct. 2024
Adjective
  • Most of the national focus and major fundraising have flowed to the governor’s race.
    Brittany Carloni, The Indianapolis Star, 30 Oct. 2024
  • In the last full week of the 2024 campaign, Trump is zeroing in on major swing states, holding rallies and laying out his pitch to voters in North Carolina, Wisconsin and Nevada later in the week.
    Phillip M. Bailey, USA TODAY, 29 Oct. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near serious

Cite this Entry

“Serious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/serious. Accessed 12 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on serious

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