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serious

   Also found in: Medical, Legal, Acronyms, Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.01 sec.
se·ri·ous  (sîr-s)
adj.
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.

[Middle English, from Old French serieux, from Late Latin srisus, from Latin srius.]

seri·ous·ly adv.
seri·ous·ness n.
Synonyms: serious, sober, grave2, solemn, earnest1, sedate1, staid
These adjectives refer to manner, appearance, disposition, or acts marked by absorption in thought, pressing concerns, or significant work. Serious implies a concern with responsibility and work as opposed to play: serious students of music.
Sober emphasizes circumspection and self-restraint: "My sober mind was no longer intoxicated by the fumes of politics" (Edward Gibbon).
Grave suggests the dignity and somberness associated with weighty matters: "a quiet, grave man, busied in charts, exact in sums, master of the art of tactics" (Walter Bagehot).
Solemn often adds to grave the suggestion of impressiveness: the judge's solemn tone as she handed down her decision.
Earnest implies sincerity and intensity of purpose: disputants who showed an earnest desire to reach an equitable solution.
Sedate implies a composed, dignified manner: "One of those calm, quiet, sedate natures, to whom the temptations of turbulent nerves or vehement passions are things utterly incomprehensible" (Harriet Beecher Stowe).
Staid emphasizes dignity and an often strait-laced observance of propriety: "a grave and staid God-fearing man" (Tennyson).

serious [ˈsɪərɪəs]
adj
1. grave in nature or disposition; thoughtful a serious person
2. marked by deep feeling; in earnest; sincere is he serious or joking?
3. concerned with important matters a serious conversation
4. requiring effort or concentration a serious book
5. giving rise to fear or anxiety; critical a serious illness
6. Informal worthy of regard because of substantial quantity or quality serious money serious wine
7. Informal extreme or remarkable a serious haircut
[from Late Latin sēriōsus, from Latin sērius; probably related to Old English swǣr gloomy, Gothic swers esteemed]
seriousness  n
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Adj.1.serious - 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!"
frivolous - not serious in content or attitude or behavior; "a frivolous novel"; "a frivolous remark"; "a frivolous young woman"
2.serious - of great consequence; "marriage is a serious matter"
important, of import - of great significance or value; "important people"; "the important questions of the day"
3.serious - 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"
critical - being in or verging on a state of crisis or emergency; "a critical shortage of food"; "a critical illness"; "an illness at the critical stage"
4.serious - appealing to the mind; "good music"; "a serious book"
intellectual - appealing to or using the intellect; "satire is an intellectual weapon"; "intellectual workers engaged in creative literary or artistic or scientific labor"; "has tremendous intellectual sympathy for oppressed people"; "coldly intellectual"; "sort of the intellectual type"; "intellectual literature"
5.seriousserious - completely lacking in playfulness    
6.serious - requiring effort or concentration; complex and not easy to answer or solve; "raised serious objections to the proposal"; "the plan has a serious flaw"
difficult, hard - not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure; "a difficult task"; "nesting places on the cliffs are difficult of access"; "difficult times"; "why is it so hard for you to keep a secret?"

serious
adjective
1. grave, bad, critical, worrying, dangerous, acute, alarming, severe, extreme, grievous His condition was serious but stable.
2. important, crucial, urgent, pressing, difficult, worrying, deep, significant, grim, far-reaching, momentous, fateful, weighty, no laughing matter, of moment or consequence I regard this as a serious matter.
important insignificant, minor, trivial, slight, unimportant
3. thoughtful, detailed, careful, deep, profound, in-depth It was a question which deserved serious consideration.
Translations
serious [ˈsɪərɪəs] ADJ
1. (= in earnest, not frivolous) [person] → serio, formal; [expression, discussion, newspaper, music] → serio
a rather serious girluna chica bastante seria or formal
are you serious?¿lo dices en serio?
you can't be serious!no lo dices en serio, ¿verdad?
gentlemen, let's be seriousseñores, un poco de formalidad
to be serious about sth/sb she's serious about her studiesse toma sus estudios en serio
are you serious about giving up the job?¿hablas en serio de dejar el trabajo?
he is serious about his threatsus amenazas van en serio
he's serious about leaving homeestá decidido a irse de casa
is she serious about him?¿va ella en serio con él?
they haven't made a serious attempt to solve the problemno han intentado realmente resolver el problema
the serious business of running the countryla importante tarea de gobernar el país
eating shellfish is a serious business in Francecomer marisco no es algo que se tome a la ligera en Francia
to give serious consideration to sthconsiderar algo seriamente
to take a serious interest in sthinteresarse seriamente por algo
don't look so serious!¡no te pongas tan serio!
on a more serious notepasando a un tema más serio
all serious offers consideredcualquier oferta(que sea)seria se tendrá en cuenta
to give serious thought to sthconsiderar algo seriamente
see also deadly B
2. (= grave) [problem, consequences, situation] → grave, serio; [danger, illness, injury, mistake] → grave
the patient's condition is seriousel paciente está grave
to have serious doubts about sthtener serias dudas sobre algo
to get serious [shortage, epidemic, drought] → convertirse en un serio or grave problema
things are getting seriousla situación se está poniendo seria
she is in serious troubleestá en serios apuros
3.
she's earning serious moneyno está ganando ninguna tontería

serious [ˈsɪəriəs] adj
(= not joking) [person, comment] → sérieux/euse
Are you serious? → Vous êtes sérieux?
Is that your serious opinion?
BUT Pensez-vous sérieusement ce que vous dites?.
(= thoughtful) [person, temperament] → sérieux/euse
You look very serious → Tu as l'air sérieux.
(= bad) [problem, situation] → sérieux/euse; [accident, damage, illness] → sérieux/euse often before n
The government faces serious difficulties → Le gouvernement fait face à de sérieuses difficultés.
Doctors said his condition was serious → Les médecins ont dit que son état était sérieux.
The storm caused serious damage → La tempête a causé de sérieux dommages.
(= important) [matter] → sérieux/euse
Don't laugh. This is a serious matter → Ne riez pas. C'est une affaire sérieuse.

serious
adj
(= earnest)ernst; (= not frivolous)ernsthaft; consideration, discussion, conversation, doubtsernst, ernsthaft; point, matter, businessernst; newspaper, publication, interesternsthaft, seriös; offer, suggestionernst gemeint, seriös; attempternsthaft; contenderernst zu nehmend attr; to be serious about doing somethingetw im Ernst tun wollen; I’m serious (about it)ich meine das ernst, das ist mein Ernst; I’m deadly seriouses ist mir todernst (inf); he is serious about herer meint es ernst mit ihr; be serious about your studiesdu musst dein Studium ernst nehmen; you can’t be serious!das meinst du doch nicht ernst!, das kann nicht dein Ernst sein!; to give serious thought or consideration to somethingsich (dat)etw ernsthaft or ernstlich überlegen, sich über etw (acc)ernsthafte Gedanken machen; the serious student of jazz will …wer sich ernsthaft mit Jazz beschäftigt, wird; to earn serious money (inf)das große Geld verdienen
(= critical) accident, flooding, deficiencies, lossschwer; mistake, injuryschwer, schlimm; problemernst, ernst zu nehmend attr; illnessschwer, ernst; situationernst, schlimm; patient’s conditionernst, bedenklich; threat, shortage, lackernst, ernstlich; deteriorationbedenklich; it’s seriousdas ist schlimm; it’s getting seriouses wird ernst; inflation is getting seriousdie Inflation nimmt ernste Ausmaße an

serious [ˈsɪərɪəs] adj
a. (earnest) → serio/a
to give serious thought to sth → considerare seriamente qc
he's a serious student of jazz → s'interessa seriamente di jazz
she's getting serious about him → si sta innamorando sul serio di lui
are you serious (about it)? → parli sul serio?
you can't be serious! → stai scherzando!
b. (causing concern) → serio/a, grave
the patient's condition is serious → il paziente versa in gravi condizioni

serious [ˈsɪərɪəs] adj
a. (earnest) → serio/a
to give serious thought to sth → considerare seriamente qc
he's a serious student of jazz → s'interessa seriamente di jazz
she's getting serious about him → si sta innamorando sul serio di lui
are you serious (about it)? → parli sul serio?
you can't be serious! → stai scherzando!
b. (causing concern) → serio/a, grave
the patient's condition is serious → il paziente versa in gravi condizioni

serious
adj serious [ˈsiəriəs]
1 grave or solemn a quiet, serious boy; You're looking very serious. ernstig جَدّي، رَزين серозен vážný alvorlig ernst σοβαρός, επίσημος serio tõsine جدي vakava sérieux רְצִינִי विचारशील, संजीदा, गम्भीर ozbiljan, trijezan komoly serius alvarlegur serio 真剣な 진지한 rimtas nopietns serius ernstig alvorlig poważny sério grav серьёзный vážny resen ozbiljan allvarlig, allvarsam เอาจริงเอาจัง; เคร่งครึม ciddî, ağır başlı 嚴肅的 серйозний سنجیدہ nghiêm trang
2 (often withabout) in earnest; sincere Is he serious about wanting to be a doctor? ernstig جاد، صادِق сериозен за opravdový alvorlig ernst που δεν αστειεύεται serio tõsi taga جدي tosissaan sérieux רְצִינִי निष्ठावान iskren, ozbiljan (ozbiljno misliti) őszinte serius einlægur serio 本気の 진정인 rimtai (ketinantis) nopietns; visā nopietnībā serius echt menend (er det) alvor... poważny sério serios серьёзный opravdivý, úprimný, skutočný, seriózny resen ozbiljan allvarlig, seriös กระตือรือร้น; จริงใจ ciddî, samimî 認真的 серйозний مخلص، سنجیدہ thành thật
3 intended to make people think He reads very serious books. ernstig جاد сериозен náročný seriøs ernst σοβαρός, που απαιτεί σκέψη serio mõtlemapanev مهم vakava-aiheinen sérieux מְעוֹרֵר מָחשָבָה विचारशील ozbiljan, važan komoly berat alvarlegur serio まじめな (내용이) 딱딱한 rimtas nopietns; gudrs; dziļš berat serieus seriøs poważny sério serios серьёзный, глубокомысленный náročný resen ozbiljan seriös จริงจัง; หนัก ciddî 啟發思考的 серйозний پر معنی đứng đắn, nghiêm túc
4 causing worry; dangerous a serious head injury; The situation is becoming serious. ernstig خَطِر، خَطير сериозен vážný alvorlig; farlig ernst σοβαρός, κρίσιμος, επικίνδυνος serio murettekitav نگران كننده vakava sérieux רְצִינִי चिन्ताजनक, विकट ozbiljan súlyos parah alvarlegur, hættulegur serio 重大な 심각한 rimtas nopietns; smags parah ernstig alvorlig poważny sério se­rios, grav серьёзный; внушающий опасения vážny resen ozbiljan allvarlig ก่อให้เกิดความกังวล; อันตราย ciddî, tehlikeli 嚴重的 серйозний, небезпечний سنگین nghiêm trọng
n seriousness
ernstigheid جِدِّيَّه، خُطورَه важност vážnost, opravdovost alvor der Ernst σοβαρότητα seriedad tõsidus اهميت vakavuus sérieux רְצִינוּת गंभीरता ozbiljnost, važnost súlyosság, komolyság kesungguhan alvara, alvarleiki serietà 真剣さ 진지함 rimtumas nopietnība keseriusan ernst alvor(lighet) powaga seriedade seriozitate серьёзность; важность vážnosť; náročnosť resnost ozbiljnost allvar[], allvarsamhet ความเคร่งเครียด; ความเอาจริงเอาจัง ciddiyet, ağır başlılık 嚴重性 серйозність سنجیدگی sự nghiêm trọng, sự đứng đắn, sự nghiêm túc
adv seriously
in a serious way; to a serious extent Is he seriously thinking of being an actor?; She is seriously ill. baie بِجدِيَّه، بِخُطورَه сериозно vážně alvorligt ernsthaft (στα) σοβαρά en serio tõsiselt بطور جدي vakavasti sérieusement בִּרצִינוּת गंभीरता से ozbiljno komolyan secara serius alvarlega seriamente 本気で 진지하게 rimtai nopietni benar-benar ernstig alvorlig, for alvor poważnie seriamente serios серьёзно; тяжело vážne resno ozbiljno allvarligt อย่างเอาจริงเอาจัง ciddi şekilde, ciddî ciddî 嚴重地,認真地,嚴肅地 серйозно سنجیدگی کے ساتھ nghiêm túc, nghiêm trọng
take (someone or something) seriously
1 to regard (a person or his statement etc) as in earnest You mustn't take his jokes/promises seriously. ernstig opneem يَحْمِل الأقوال مَحْمَل الجِد приемам на сериозно brát vážně tage alvorligt ernst nehmen παίρνω κπ. στα σοβαρά tomar en serio tõsiselt võtma صادقانه ottaa todesta prendre au sérieux לַקָחָת בִּרצִינוּת गंभीरता से लेना uzeti ozbiljno, uzeti za ozbiljno komolyan vesz menganggap serius alvarlega prendere sul serio 本気にする 진진하게 받아들이다 žiūrėti į ką rimtai uztvert nopietni menganggap kata-kata seseorang itu serius au s{#225}{#130}{#225}rieux nemen ta (noen/noe) alvorlig traktować/brać (kogoś/coś) poważnie levar a sério a lua în serios принимать (кого-л., что-л.) всерьёз brať vážne zares vzeti shvatati ozbiljno ta ngn (ngt) på allvar ที่ไม่ใช่เป็นการเล่น ciddîye almak 認真看待 сприймати серйозно واقعی، سچ مچ coi trọng
2 to regard (a matter) as a subject for concern or serious thought He refuses to take anything seriously. ernstig opneem يأخُذ الأمْر بصورَةٍ جَدِيَّه осъзнавам важността на brát vážně tage seriøst ernst nehmen παίρνω κτ. στα σοβαρά tomar en serio tõsiselt suhtuma علاقه مند suhtautua vakavasti prendre au sérieux לַקָחָת בִּרצִינוּת किसी चीज को गहन विचार के लायक समझना uzeti ozbiljno, shvatiti ozbiljno komolyan vesz memikirkan dengan serius alvarlega prendere sul serio まじめに考える 진지(중대하게)생각하다 žiūrėti į ką rimtai uztvert nopietni menganggap sesuatu itu serius iets ernstig opvatten ta alvorlig traktować poważnie levar a sério a lua în serios относиться (к кому-л./чему-л.) серьёзно brať vážne zares vzeti shvatiti ozbiljno ta ngn (ngt) på allvar สำคัญ önem vermek, önemsemek 嚴肅面對 приймати близько до серця سنجیدہ انداز میں لینا lưu tâm đến

serious جاد vážný alvorlig ernst σοβαρός serio vakava sérieux ozbiljan serio 深刻な 심각한 serieus alvorlig poważny sério серьезный allvarlig เคร่งขรึม ciddi nghiêm trọng 严重的


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To say nothing of the young men who danced at the Moscow balls being almost all in love with Kitty, two serious suitors had already this first winter made their appearance: Levin, and immediately after his departure, Count Vronsky.
All he said was: "Ah, friend, you are young yet; it may be very serious for your whole life.
Now, for the first time, impressed by her irresistible earnestness, he began to consider what he was about from a more serious point of view.
 
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