serious
pronunciation
How to pronounce serious in British English:
UK [ˈsɪəriəs]
How to pronounce serious in American English:
US [ˈsɪriəs]
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- Adjective:
- concerned with work or important matters rather than play or trivialities
- of great consequence
- causing fear or anxiety by threatening great harm
- appealing to the mind
- completely lacking in playfulness
- requiring effort or concentration; complex and not easy to answer or solve
Word Origin
- serious
- serious: [15] Serious comes ultimately from Latin sērius ‘serious, grave’. From this was derived late Latin sēriōsus, which passed into English via Old French serieux. It is not clear where sērius came from, although some have linked it with German schwer ‘heavy’ (‘seriousness’ and ‘weightiness’ being semantically close).
- serious (adj.)
- mid-15c., "expressing earnest purpose or thought" (of persons), from Middle French sérieux "grave, earnest" (14c.), from Late Latin seriosus, from Latin serius "weighty, important, grave," probably from a PIE root *swer- (4) "heavy" (cognates: Lithuanian sveriu "to weigh, lift," svarus "heavy;" Old English swære "heavy," German schwer "heavy," Gothic swers "honored, esteemed," literally "weighty"). As opposite of jesting, from 1712; as opposite of light (of music, theater, etc.), from 1762. Meaning "attended with danger" is from 1800.
Example
- 1. Will america face a serious recession ?
- 2. The issue is a serious one .
- 3. The plan shows you 're serious .
- 4. There were no serious side effects from minocycline .
- 5. The curry industry is facing a serious threat .