Meanings
adjectiveserious (comparative more serious, superlative most serious)
comparative more serious · superlative most serious
- Important; weighty; not insignificant.
This is a serious problem. We'll need our best experts.
Synonyms: desperate
adverbserious (not comparable)
- colloquialdialectalnot comparableseriously, in a serious manner (most often heard in take or mean serious)
The only time I walk out on singin' is when there's muckin' about and youse don't take it serious.
1957, Ray Lawler, Summer of the Seventeenth Doll, Sydney: Fontana Books, published 1974, page 68
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveWithout humor or expression of happiness; grave in manner or disposition.
adjectiveImportant; weighty; not insignificant.
Similar
antonym(s) of “important, weighty”
Opposite
antonym(s) of “intending what is said”
Opposite
More synonyms by meaning
adjectiveconcerned with work or important matters rather than play or trivialities
Opposite
adjectiveof great consequence
Similar
importantof import
adjectivecausing fear or anxiety by threatening great harm
adjectiveappealing to the mind
Similar
adjectiverequiring effort or concentration; complex and not easy to answer or solve
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*seh₁-
- Proto-Italic*sēros
- Latinsērus
- Proto-Indo-European*swer-
- Proto-Italic*swerjos?
- Latinsērius
- Proto-Indo-European*h₃ed-
- Proto-Indo-European*h₃édosder.?
- Medieval Latinsēriōsus
- Old Frenchserieux
- Middle Englishseryows
- Englishserious
From Middle English seryows, from Old French serieux, from Medieval Latin sēriōsus, an extension of Latin sērius (“grave, earnest, serious”), possibly ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *swer- (“heavy”). (If this root is correct, cognate with German schwer (“heavy, difficult, severe”), Old English swǣr (“heavy, grave, grievous”). More at swear, sweer. (However, see sērius for an alternative derivation of the Latin.)
More words from Middle English, Old French, Medieval Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans ernstig, ernstig
- ernstigwithout humor or expression of happiness
- ernstigimportant; weighty; not trifling; leaving no room for play
- ernstigreally intending what is said; being in earnest
Ancient Greek σπουδαῖος, σπουδαῖος
- σπουδαῖος (spoudaîos)important; weighty; not trifling; leaving no room for play
- σπουδαῖος (spoudaîos)really intending what is said; being in earnest
Arabic جِدِّيّ, جَدِّيّ
- جِدِّيّ (jiddiyy)without humor or expression of happiness
- جَدِّيّ (jaddiyy)important; weighty; not trifling; leaving no room for play
- جَادّ (jādd)important; weighty; not trifling; leaving no room for play
- جَدِّيّ (jaddiyy)really intending what is said; being in earnest
- جَادّ (jādd)really intending what is said; being in earnest
Bulgarian сериозен, важен
- сериозен (seriozen)without humor or expression of happiness
- важен (važen)important; weighty; not trifling; leaving no room for play
- сериозен (seriozen)important; weighty; not trifling; leaving no room for play
- сериозен (seriozen)really intending what is said; being in earnest
Catalan seriós, seriós
- serióswithout humor or expression of happiness
- seriósimportant; weighty; not trifling; leaving no room for play
- seriósreally intending what is said; being in earnest
Chinese Mandarin 嚴肅 /严肃, 認真 /认真
- 嚴肅 /严肃 (yánsù)without humor or expression of happiness
- 認真 /认真 (rènzhēn)important; weighty; not trifling; leaving no room for play
- 嚴重 /严重 (yánzhòng)important; weighty; not trifling; leaving no room for play
- 沉重 (chénzhòng)important; weighty; not trifling; leaving no room for play
- 認真 /认真 (rènzhēn)really intending what is said; being in earnest
- 嚴重 /严重 (yánzhòng)really intending what is said; being in earnest
Czech vážný, seriózní
- vážnýwithout humor or expression of happiness
- seriózníwithout humor or expression of happiness
- vážnýimportant; weighty; not trifling; leaving no room for play
- seriózníimportant; weighty; not trifling; leaving no room for play
- vážnýreally intending what is said; being in earnest
- seriózníreally intending what is said; being in earnest
Danish alvorlig
- alvorligimportant; weighty; not trifling; leaving no room for play
Dutch serieus, ernstig
- serieuswithout humor or expression of happiness
- ernstigwithout humor or expression of happiness
- serieusimportant; weighty; not trifling; leaving no room for play
- ernstigreally intending what is said; being in earnest
- serieusreally intending what is said; being in earnest
Esperanto serioza, serioza
- seriozawithout humor or expression of happiness
- seriozaimportant; weighty; not trifling; leaving no room for play
- gravaimportant; weighty; not trifling; leaving no room for play
Estonian tõsine, tõsine
- tõsinewithout humor or expression of happiness
- tõsineimportant; weighty; not trifling; leaving no room for play
Finnish vakava, vakavamielinen
- vakavawithout humor or expression of happiness
- vakavamielinenwithout humor or expression of happiness
- totinenwithout humor or expression of happiness
- vakavaimportant; weighty; not trifling; leaving no room for play
- vakavareally intending what is said; being in earnest
French sérieux, sérieux
- sérieuxwithout humor or expression of happiness
- sérieuximportant; weighty; not trifling; leaving no room for play
- sérieuxreally intending what is said; being in earnest
German ernst, seriös
- ernstwithout humor or expression of happiness
- seriöswithout humor or expression of happiness
- ernstimportant; weighty; not trifling; leaving no room for play
- ernsthaftimportant; weighty; not trifling; leaving no room for play
- schwerwiegendimportant; weighty; not trifling; leaving no room for play
- ernst zu nehmendimportant; weighty; not trifling; leaving no room for play
- ernsthaftreally intending what is said; being in earnest
Greek σοβαρός, σπουδαίος
- σοβαρός (sovarós)without humor or expression of happiness
- σπουδαίος (spoudaíos)important; weighty; not trifling; leaving no room for play
- σοβαρός (sovarós)really intending what is said; being in earnest
Hebrew רציני, רציני
- רציני (r'tsiní)important; weighty; not trifling; leaving no room for play
- רציני (r'tsiní)really intending what is said; being in earnest
Hindi गंभीर
- गंभीर (gambhīr)without humor or expression of happiness
Hungarian komoly, komoly
- komolywithout humor or expression of happiness
- komolyimportant; weighty; not trifling; leaving no room for play
- súlyosimportant; weighty; not trifling; leaving no room for play
- fontosimportant; weighty; not trifling; leaving no room for play
- jelentősimportant; weighty; not trifling; leaving no room for play
- nagy horderejűimportant; weighty; not trifling; leaving no room for play
- komolyreally intending what is said; being in earnest
- valósreally intending what is said; being in earnest
- valódireally intending what is said; being in earnest
- őszintereally intending what is said; being in earnest
Icelandic alvarlegur
- alvarlegurimportant; weighty; not trifling; leaving no room for play
Indonesian serius
- seriuswithout humor or expression of happiness
Irish dáiríre
- dáirírereally intending what is said; being in earnest
Italian serio, serio
- seriowithout humor or expression of happiness
- serioimportant; weighty; not trifling; leaving no room for play
- graveimportant; weighty; not trifling; leaving no room for play
- criticoimportant; weighty; not trifling; leaving no room for play
- serioreally intending what is said; being in earnest
Japanese 真面目, 真剣
- 真面目 (majime)without humor or expression of happiness
- 真剣 (shinken)without humor or expression of happiness
- 本気 (honki)without humor or expression of happiness
- 真面目 (majime)important; weighty; not trifling; leaving no room for play
- 真剣 (shinken)important; weighty; not trifling; leaving no room for play
- 深刻 (shinkoku)important; weighty; not trifling; leaving no room for play
- 真面目 (majime)really intending what is said; being in earnest
Korean 엄숙(嚴肅)하다, 진지(眞摯)하다
- 엄숙(嚴肅)하다 (eomsukhada)without humor or expression of happiness
- 진지(眞摯)하다 (jinjihada)without humor or expression of happiness
- 심각한 (simgakhan)important; weighty; not trifling; leaving no room for play
- 심각한 (simgakhan)really intending what is said; being in earnest
Latin sērius, gravis
- sēriuswithout humor or expression of happiness
- gravisimportant; weighty; not trifling; leaving no room for play
- sevērusimportant; weighty; not trifling; leaving no room for play
- sonticusimportant; weighty; not trifling; leaving no room for play
- sēriusreally intending what is said; being in earnest
Latvian nopietns, svarīgs
- nopietnswithout humor or expression of happiness
- svarīgsimportant; weighty; not trifling; leaving no room for play
- nopietnsreally intending what is said; being in earnest
Malay serius
- seriusimportant; weighty; not trifling; leaving no room for play
Māori taumaha, taimaha
- taumahaimportant; weighty; not trifling; leaving no room for play
- taimahaimportant; weighty; not trifling; leaving no room for play
- tūpoupouimportant; weighty; not trifling; leaving no room for play
- motuhēhēimportant; weighty; not trifling; leaving no room for play
Norwegian alvorlig, seriøs
- alvorligimportant; weighty; not trifling; leaving no room for play
- seriøsimportant; weighty; not trifling; leaving no room for play
Persian جدی, جدی
- جدی (jeddi)without humor or expression of happiness
- جدی (jeddi)important; weighty; not trifling; leaving no room for play
Polish poważny, poważny
- poważnywithout humor or expression of happiness
- poważnyimportant; weighty; not trifling; leaving no room for play
Portuguese sério, sério
- sériowithout humor or expression of happiness
- sérioimportant; weighty; not trifling; leaving no room for play
- sérioreally intending what is said; being in earnest
Romanian serios
- serioswithout humor or expression of happiness
Russian серьёзный, серьёзный
- серьёзный (serʹjóznyj)without humor or expression of happiness
- серьёзный (serʹjóznyj)important; weighty; not trifling; leaving no room for play
- серьёзный (serʹjóznyj)really intending what is said; being in earnest
Spanish serio, serio
- seriowithout humor or expression of happiness
- serioimportant; weighty; not trifling; leaving no room for play
- serioreally intending what is said; being in earnest
Swedish allvarsam, allvarlig
- allvarsamwithout humor or expression of happiness
- allvarligimportant; weighty; not trifling; leaving no room for play
- seriösimportant; weighty; not trifling; leaving no room for play
- seriösreally intending what is said; being in earnest
Tagalog malma
- malmaimportant; weighty; not trifling; leaving no room for play
Thai เคร่งขรึม, เคร่งเครียด
- เคร่งขรึม (krêng-krʉ̌m)without humor or expression of happiness
- เคร่งเครียด (krêng-krîiat)without humor or expression of happiness
- ซีเรียส (sii-rîiat)without humor or expression of happiness
- จริงจัง (jing-jang)important; weighty; not trifling; leaving no room for play
- ซีเรียส (sii-rîiat)important; weighty; not trifling; leaving no room for play
- จริงจัง (jing-jang)really intending what is said; being in earnest
- ซีเรียส (sii-rîiat)really intending what is said; being in earnest
Turkish ciddi, vezmin
- ciddiwithout humor or expression of happiness
- vezminwithout humor or expression of happiness
- salmaklıwithout humor or expression of happiness
- ciddiimportant; weighty; not trifling; leaving no room for play
- salmaklıimportant; weighty; not trifling; leaving no room for play
Ukrainian серйо́зний, серйо́зний
- серйо́зний (serjóznyj)without humor or expression of happiness
- серйо́зний (serjóznyj)important; weighty; not trifling; leaving no room for play
- серйо́зний (serjóznyj)really intending what is said; being in earnest
Vietnamese nghiêm trọng
- nghiêm trọngimportant; weighty; not trifling; leaving no room for play
Welsh difrifol, difrifol
- difrifolwithout humor or expression of happiness
- difrifolimportant; weighty; not trifling; leaving no room for play
- o ddifri'really intending what is said; being in earnest
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with serious
All rhymes →Sounds the same
Cite this entry
APA
serious. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/serious
MLA
“serious.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/serious. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “serious,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/serious.
Source: serious on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.