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adjective

1. of, showing, having, or caused by earnestness or deep thought; earnest, grave, sober, or solemn: a serious person
2. 1. meaning what one says or does; not joking or trifling; sincere
   2. meant in earnestness; not said or done in play
3. concerned with grave, important, or complex matters, problems, etc.; weighty: a serious novel
4. requiring careful consideration or thought; involving difficulty, effort, or considered action: a serious problem
5. giving cause for concern; dangerous: a serious woundRelated Forms:
   • seriously adverb
   • seriousness noun

   Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
   Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

   See serious in American Heritage Dictionary 4

   adjective

   1. Grave in quality or manner: gave me a serious look.
   2. a. Carried out in earnest: engaged in serious drinking; serious study of Italian.
      b. Deeply interested or involved: a serious card player.
      c. Designed for and addressing grave and earnest tastes: serious art; serious music.
      d. Not trifling or jesting: I'm serious: we expect you to complete the assignment on time. Her question was serious enough to deserve a thoughtful response.
      e. Informal Of considerable size or scope; substantial: a cleanup that cost serious money.
      f. Of such character or quality as to appeal to the expert, the connoisseur, or the sophisticate: "Every serious kitchen needs at least one peppermill"(Washington Post).
   3. Concerned with important rather than trivial matters: a serious student of history.
   4. a. Being of such import as to cause anxiety: serious injuries; a serious turn of events.
      b. Too complex to be easily answered or solved: raised some serious objections to the proposal.