Serious - English meaning

adjective

(of an unpleasant or unwelcome situation or phenomenon) present or experienced to a severe or intense degree.

Usage examples:

An acute housing shortage

noun

Short for acute accent.

adjective

Worrying or disturbing.

Usage examples:

Our countryside is disappearing at an alarming rate

verb

Make (someone) feel frightened, disturbed, or in danger.

adjective

Enough or more than enough; plentiful.

Usage examples:

There is ample time for discussion

adjective

Large or important enough to be noticed.

Usage examples:

Pupils may have to travel appreciable distances

adjective

(esp. of amounts or changes) large enough to be noticed or to have an effect

Usage examples:

My little donation will not make an appreciable difference.

adjective

Of poor quality or a low standard.

Usage examples:

A bad diet

adverb

Badly.

Usage examples:

He beat her up real bad

adjective

Unpleasant and causing difficulties

Usage examples:

Our holiday was spoiled by bad weather., we've just had some very bad news., watch out - he's in a …

adjective

(especially of clothes or furnishings) providing physical ease and relaxation.

Usage examples:

Comfortable sturdy shoes

noun

A warm quilt.

adjective

Producing a relaxing feeling of physical comfort esp. because of shape or materials

Usage examples:

A comfortable bed/car/dress, are you comfortable or is it too hot?, i’m not comfortable speaking in…

adjective

Pledged or bound to a certain course or policy; dedicated.

Usage examples:

A committed environmentalist

verb

Perpetrate or carry out (a mistake, crime, or immoral act).

Usage examples:

He committed an uncharacteristic error

adjective

Very willing to give your time and energy to something

Usage examples:

The level of the bid shows we are very committed and serious., endowment savings plans are for the …

adjective

Following as a result or effect.

Usage examples:

A loss of confidence and a consequential withdrawal of funds

adjective

Happening as a result of something

Usage examples:

We need to act now to avoid a recession and the consequential damage that would follow., analysts n…

adjective

Notably large in size, amount, or extent.

Usage examples:

A position of considerable influence

adjective

Very large or much

Usage examples:

He exhibited considerable skill in driving through the snowstorm., technology has advanced consider…

adjective

Expressing adverse or disapproving comments or judgements.

Usage examples:

I was very critical of the previous regime

adjective

Of the greatest importance

Usage examples:

Critical industries, what happens in the next 48 hours is critical., he was admitted to metropolita…

adjective

Extremely important to the progress or success of something

Usage examples:

Critical to/for sth logistics and distribution are critical to an e-commerce venture's success., cr…

adjective

Decisive or critical, especially in the success or failure of something.

Usage examples:

Negotiations were at a crucial stage

adjective

(of a decision or event) extremely important because many other things depend on it

Usage examples:

The behavior of the oceans is a crucial aspect of global warming., the band wants to win over fans …

adjective

Able or likely to cause harm or injury.

Usage examples:

A dangerous animal

adjective

Able or likely to cause harm or death, or unpleasant problems

Usage examples:

Dangerous chemicals/bacteria, whooping cough is most dangerous for infants., dangerously high winds

adjective

Conforming with generally accepted standards of respectable or moral behaviour.

Usage examples:

A decent clean-living individual

adjective

Acceptable, satisfactory, or reasonable

Usage examples:

We get good benefits, and the pay is decent., it costs $100 to buy a decent sleeping bag., they’re …

adjective

Having made a firm decision and being resolved not to change it.

Usage examples:

Alina was determined to be heard

verb

Cause (something) to occur in a particular way or to have a particular nature.

Usage examples:

It will be her mental attitude that determines her future

adjective

Showing the strong desire to follow a particular plan of action even if it is difficult

Usage examples:

A very determined young man, she had a determined look on her face., [ + to infinitive ] i’m determ…

adjective

Extremely serious or urgent.

Usage examples:

Misuse of drugs can have dire consequences

adjective

Very serious or extreme

Usage examples:

Cheating will bring dire consequences.

adjective

Causing or involving great suffering, fear, or unhappiness; extremely bad or serious.

Usage examples:

There's been a dreadful accident

adjective

Very bad

Usage examples:

I realized i had committed a dreadful mistake.

adjective

Resulting from or showing sincere and intense conviction.

Usage examples:

An earnest student

noun

A thing intended or regarded as a sign or promise of what is to come.

Usage examples:

The very deliberateness of their disguise is an earnest of their real aloofness

adjective

Sincere and serious

Usage examples:

She made an earnest attempt to convert me to her point of view., work on the building began, in ear…

adjective

Reaching a high or the highest degree; very great.

Usage examples:

Extreme cold

noun

Either of two abstract things that are as different from each other as possible.

Usage examples:

We represented opposite extremes of college society—he a member of the old guard, i one of the radi…

adjective

Treating people equally without favouritism or discrimination.

Usage examples:

The group has achieved fair and equal representation for all its members

adverb

Without cheating or trying to achieve unjust advantage.

Usage examples:

No one could say he played fair

noun

A beautiful woman.

Usage examples:

Pursuing his fair in a solitary street

adjective

Likely to influence many people or things

Usage examples:

The effects of the riots will be far-reaching.

adjective

Having a solid, almost unyielding surface or structure.

Usage examples:

The bed should be reasonably firm, but not too hard

verb

Make more solid or resilient.

Usage examples:

How can i firm up a sagging bustline?

adverb

In a resolute and determined manner.

Usage examples:

The chancellor has held firm to tough economic policies

adjective

Truly what something is said to be; authentic.

Usage examples:

Genuine 24-carat gold

adjective

Being what something or someone appears or claims to be; real, not false

Usage examples:

Genuine leather, a genuine masterpiece, she showed genuine (= sincere) sorrow at the news., no one …

adjective

Considerable in size or quantity.

Usage examples:

A goodly number of our countrymen

noun

A hole dug in the ground to receive a coffin or dead body, typically marked by a stone or mound.

Usage examples:

The coffin was lowered into the grave

adjective

Giving cause for alarm; serious.

Usage examples:

A matter of grave concern

noun

Another term for grave accent.

adjective

(of something bad) very severe or serious.

Usage examples:

His death was a grievous blow

adjective

Having very serious effects or causing great pain

Usage examples:

It was a grievous head wound, and he was not expected to survive., he was grievously injured.

adjective

(of a man) good-looking.

Usage examples:

He's handsome, with chiselled good looks and hypnotic blue eyes that make mel gibson's pale by comp…

adjective

Large and heavy.

Usage examples:

A hefty young chap

adjective

Large in amount or size

Usage examples:

A hefty fine/bonus, a hefty steak dinner, a hefty, pink-faced baby

adjective

Extremely large

Usage examples:

A hefty 15.9%/30%/54%, etc. one of the market's star performers announced a hefty $10bn share buyba…

adjective

Of great significance or value.

Usage examples:

Important habitats for wildlife

adjective

Of great value, meaning, or effect

Usage examples:

An important discovery, [ + that clause ] it’s important that you tell the doctor all your symptoms…

noun

A small piece of shaped metal with incisions cut to fit the wards of a particular lock, which is inserted into a lock and turned to open or close it.

Usage examples:

There were two keys to the cupboard

adjective

Of crucial importance.

Usage examples:

She became a key figure in the suffragette movement

verb

Enter or operate on (data) by means of a computer keyboard or telephone keypad.

Usage examples:

Not everyone can key data quickly and accurately

adjective

Involving the possibility that someone will die

Usage examples:

We were now in a life-and-death situation., a life-and-death matter

adjective

Important, serious, or significant.

Usage examples:

The use of drugs is a major problem

noun

A rank of officer in the army and the us air force, above captain and below lieutenant colonel.

Usage examples:

One e-mail avowed that too many majors and lieutenant colonels flounder in their first joint assign…

verb

Short for major suit.

Usage examples:

South was anxious to mention his four-card major and bid one spade

adjective

Of great importance or significance, especially in having a bearing on future events.

Usage examples:

A period of momentous changes in east–west relations

adjective

Very important, esp. because of the effects on future events

Usage examples:

A momentous decision/event

adjective

Full of danger or uncertainty; precarious.

Usage examples:

The parlous state of the economy

adverb

Greatly or excessively.

Usage examples:

She is parlous handsome

adjective

Very bad, dangerous, or uncertain

Usage examples:

Relations between the two countries have been in a parlous state for some time., i'd like to buy a …

adjective

Full of danger or risk.

Usage examples:

A perilous journey south

adjective

Not securely held or in position; dangerously likely to fall or collapse.

Usage examples:

A precarious ladder

adjective

In danger because not firmly fixed; likely to fall or suffer harm

Usage examples:

I climbed onto a precarious platform to get a better view., the vase was precariously perched on a …

adjective

Requiring quick or immediate action or attention.

Usage examples:

Inflation was the most pressing problem

noun

An act or instance of applying force or weight to something.

Usage examples:

Pure-grade olive oil is the product of the second or third pressings

verb

Move or cause to move into a position of contact with something by exerting continuous physical force.

Usage examples:

He pressed his face to the glass

adjective

Having sound judgement; fair and sensible.

Usage examples:

No reasonable person could have objected

adjective

Based on or using good judgment, and therefore fair and practical

Usage examples:

Johnson was a reasonable man., it seemed like a reasonable question/explanation., you can still get…

adjective

A reasonable price, value, or offer seems fair and not too expensive

Usage examples:

In the context of current robust economic growth, these shares look reasonable value., a reasonable…

adjective

Admirably purposeful, determined, and unwavering.

Usage examples:

She was resolute and unswerving

adjective

Firmly determined to do something.

Usage examples:

Constance was resolved not to cry

verb

Settle or find a solution to (a problem or contentious matter).

Usage examples:

The firm aims to resolve problems within 30 days

adjective

Strongly determined

Usage examples:

[ + to infinitive ] we’re resolved to get together more often.

adjective

(of something bad or undesirable) very great; intense.

Usage examples:

A severe shortage of technicians

adjective

Causing great pain, difficulty, damage, etc.; very serious

Usage examples:

A severe earthquake, the family faced severe challenges when he lost his job., severe criticism

adjective

Sufficiently great or important to be worthy of attention; noteworthy.

Usage examples:

A significant increase in sales

adjective

Important, large, or great, esp. in leading to a different result or to an important change

Usage examples:

This election reaffirms a significant shift of the center of power., marriage is a significant comm…

adjective

Free from pretence or deceit; proceeding from genuine feelings.

Usage examples:

They offer their sincere thanks to paul

adjective

(esp. of feelings, beliefs, opinions, or intentions) honest; not false or invented

Usage examples:

Sincere modesty/belief/statement, more than sincere words of support, we need action., she spoke wi…

adjective

Fairly large.

Usage examples:

A sizeable proportion of the population

adjective

Large

Usage examples:

A sizeable amount/area/house

adjective

Of considerable importance, size, or worth.

Usage examples:

A substantial amount of cash

adjective

Large in size, value, or importance

Usage examples:

He took a substantial amount of money., they do a substantial portion of their business by phone.

adjective

Large in size, value, or importance

Usage examples:

Substantial benefits/costs/investment, a substantial amount/number/portion of sth banks make a subs…

adjective

Extremely bad or serious.

Usage examples:

A terrible crime

adjective

Arranged neatly and in order.

Usage examples:

His scrupulously tidy apartment

noun

An act or spell of tidying something.

Usage examples:

She's coming to give his house its saturday morning tidy

verb

Bring order to (something); arrange neatly.

Usage examples:

The boys have finally tidied their bedroom

adjective

Able to be endured.

Usage examples:

A stimulant to make life more tolerable

adjective

Of a quality that is acceptable but not wonderful

Usage examples:

A job in a theme park is tolerable only if you’re young.

adjective

Requiring immediate action or attention.

Usage examples:

An urgent demand for more state funding

adjective

Needing immediate attention

Usage examples:

The plumbing in this building is in urgent need of repair., there was a sense of urgency in her voi…

adjective

Very important and needing attention immediately

Usage examples:

He's got to sign that paper - will you tell him it's urgent?, the most urgent thing in a fire is to…

adjective

Absolutely necessary; essential.

Usage examples:

Secrecy is of vital importance

noun

The body's important internal organs.

Usage examples:

He felt the familiar knot contract in his vitals

adjective

Necessary or extremely important for the success or continued existence of something

Usage examples:

The existence of a strong opposition is vital to a healthy democracy., the kidneys play a vital rol…

adjective

Weighing a great deal; heavy.

Usage examples:

A weighty tome

adjective

Important and serious

Usage examples:

They discussed weighty topics like arms control, the middle east, and the federal budget deficit.

adjective

Showing or characterized by complete sincerity and commitment.

Usage examples:

You have my wholehearted support

adjective

Completely enthusiastic

Usage examples:

I’d like to thank all of you for your wholehearted support of this event.

adjective

Causing anxiety about actual or potential problems; alarming.

Usage examples:

A worrying health risk

verb

Feel or cause to feel anxious or troubled about actual or potential problems.

Usage examples:

He worried about his soldier sons in the war

adjective

Making you feel unhappy and frightened

Usage examples:

It's a very worrying situation.

adjective

Worth the time, money, or effort spent; of value or importance.

Usage examples:

Extra lighting would make a worthwhile contribution to road safety

adjective

Useful, important, or helpful enough to be a suitable reward for the money or time spent or the effort made

Usage examples:

She considers teaching a worthwhile career.