Serious
WordNet
adjective
(1) Causing fear or anxiety by threatening great harm
"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"
(2) Requiring effort or concentration; complex and not easy to answer or solve
"Raised serious objections to the proposal"
"The plan has a serious flaw"
(3) Of great consequence
"Marriage is a serious matter"
(4) Appealing to the mind
"Good music"
"A serious book"
(5) Concerned with work or important matters rather than play or trivialities
"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!"
(6) Completely lacking in playfulness
WiktionaryText
Etymology
From < < , an extension of , perhaps for } and in effect another form of .
Adjective
- Without humor or expression of happiness; grave in manner or disposition; earnest; thoughtful; solemn.
- It was a surprise to see the captain, who had always seemed so serious, laugh so heartily.
- Important; weighty; not trifling; leaving no room for play; needing great attention.
- This is a serious problem. We'll need our best experts.
- Really intending what is said; being in earnest; not jesting or deceiving; meaningful.
- After all these years, we're finally getting serious attention.