Definitions

seriously

[seer-ee-uhs-lee] / ˈsɪər i əs li /

ADVERB

not humorously

Synonyms

STRONGEST

actively earnestly passionately sincerely vigorously

STRONG

gravely

WEAK

all joking aside cool it cut the comedy determinedly down fervently for real in all conscience in all seriousness in earnest intently purposefully resolutely sedately simmer down soberly solemnly sternly straighten out thoughtfully with a straight face with forethought with sobriety zealously

Antonyms

WEAK

casually funnily lightly minor trivially

ADVERB

dangerously, critically

Synonyms

STRONGEST

acutely badly grievously intensely severely sorely very

STRONG

gravely

WEAK

decidedly deplorably distressingly harmfully menacingly perilously precariously quite regrettably threateningly

Antonyms

STRONGEST

little

WEAK

casually funnily lightly minor trivially

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“Many hadn’t looked at us seriously before, and so the book was 25 times oversubscribed.”

From Barron's • May 15, 2026

Meta - which owns Facebook and Instagram - said it takes "co-ordinated inauthentic behaviour seriously" and has "specialised global teams constantly working to identify and disrupt this type of activity".

From BBC • May 15, 2026

“The Riverside Sheriff’s Office takes each use of force very seriously and makes every effort to de-escalate these situations whenever possible,” Vickers said.

From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2026

Thus, these firms’ businesses would be seriously affected by a lack of clearance.

From Slate • May 15, 2026

For many of the refugees sheltering at evacuation centers, the order to evacuate was their first indication that something had gone seriously wrong at the nuclear plant, and it left them with a terrible choice.

From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland

seriously

Example Sentences

Related Words