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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

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 serious On another note, April 7 brings a more serious tone to your love life, as Venus conjuncts Saturn, making the topic of commitment and accountability all the more pivotal. Valerie Mesa, People.com, 5 Apr. 2025 But allergens can also trigger more serious complications like asthma attacks, causing wheezing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath. Umair Irfan, Wired News, 5 Apr. 2025 Owens is a beloved wrestler and neck injuries can be very serious. John W. Dean, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Apr. 2025 Domestic gross now stands at $72 million, and the film is in serious danger of not even hitting $100 million in North America — a disastrous result for a $250 million Hollywood production. J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 5 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for serious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for serious
Adjective
  • The noble profile of a solemn, aging Great Dane named Apollo dominates Scott McGehee and David Siegel’s The Friend, a movie nominally about the difficulties of caring for a pet in New York City.
    Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 28 Mar. 2025
  • Then, with his hopes of starting the season in the major leagues officially dashed, Hinch and his family began the solemn drive from Philly to the team’s Triple-A site in Scranton, Pa.
    Cody Stavenhagen, The Athletic, 25 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Sri Lanka worried that its economic recovery would be derailed as its clothing industry faced new tariffs from its most important export market.
    Time, Time, 10 Apr. 2025
  • This Milan Design Week was an important one for Louis Vuitton.
    Liam Hess, Vogue, 10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • The speeds can vary from moment to moment and can quickly increase to become dangerous to anyone entering the surf.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 6 Apr. 2025
  • That means the garden isn't dangerous for Cummings' elderly father, who is allergic to bees.
    Martha Ann Overland, NPR, 6 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • School closures abound As severe weather persisted, school districts in multiple states opted to cancel classes for the day.
    John Bacon, USA Today, 7 Apr. 2025
  • In addition to editing content, Alex also covers breaking news, writing about crime and severe weather as well as everything from multistate lottery jackpots to the July Fourth hot dog eating contest.
    Alex Sundby, CBS News, 7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Heading them is none other than Robert Keller, who wasn’t killed after all, and now blames his big bro for abandoning him.
    Dennis Harvey, Variety, 11 Apr. 2025
  • But after the first episodes aired I was blown away about the magnitude of how big the show is.
    Maer Roshan, HollywoodReporter, 10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Specialized drivers transporting hazardous materials or oversized loads can earn $75,750–$118,600 per year, while owner-operators may make $85,000–$100,000, excluding maintenance expenses.
    Jack Kelly, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025
  • The plane was removed from the water by 10 a.m., per ABC 9. Crews are working to contain a hazardous materials incident related to the plane incident.
    Charna Flam, People.com, 8 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • With an equally tender and earnest vocal performance, Yaksta infuses Crawba’s soundscape with the reverence that unconditional love often mirrors.
    Kyle Denis, Billboard, 3 Apr. 2025
  • But Maezawa has managed to come across as earnest and genuine in his mission for world peace and philanthropy, establishing the Contemporary Art Foundation in Tokyo and randomly giving away a billion yen, or $9.1 million, to his followers in 2020.
    Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 31 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Eala, 19, booked her berth in the last four after knocking out five-time major champion and second seed Iga Swiatek in the quarterfinals, this year’s Australian Open winner Madison Keys in the third round and former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko in the second round.
    Manasi Pathak, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025
  • South Carolina fires In South Carolina, the Table Rock Fire and the Persimmon Ridge Fire were the two major wildfires in the state.
    Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 28 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Serious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/serious. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.

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