seriousness

/ˈsiriɪsnɪs/

/ˈsɪriɪsnɪs/

Other forms: seriousnesses

Seriousness is a quality of being calmly intent, or serious. Your seriousness will serve you well when you're studying for an important test.

You might talk about the seriousness of an argument between two friends, or the seriousness of your math teacher when she expects the class to pay attention. Sometimes seriousness implies a bit of worry, like when you ask about the seriousness of your grandmother's health problems. The noun seriousness comes from an adjective, serious, with a Latin root, serius, which means "weighty, important, or grave."

Definitions of seriousness

1. noun

   an earnest and sincere feeling
   synonyms: earnestness, sincerity

   type of:

   gravity, solemnity

   a solemn and dignified feeling
2. noun

   the trait of being earnest and sincere
   “"a lack of solemnity is not necessarily a lack of seriousness"- Robert Rice”

   synonyms: earnestness, serious-mindedness, sincerity

   antonyms:

   frivolity

   the trait of being frivolous; not serious or sensible

   types:

   commitment, committedness

   the trait of sincere and steadfast fixity of purpose

   graveness, gravity, soberness, sobriety, somberness, sombreness

   a manner that is serious and solemn

   sedateness, solemness, solemnity, staidness

   a trait of dignified seriousness

   investment

   the commitment of something other than money (time, energy, or effort) to a project with the expectation of some worthwhile result

   stodginess, stuffiness

   dull and pompous gravity

   type of:

   trait

   a distinguishing feature of your personal nature
3. noun

   alarming importance
   type of:

   importance

   the quality of being important and worthy of note
4. noun

   the quality of arousing fear or distress
   “he learned the seriousness of his illness”

   synonyms: distressfulness

   type of:

   badness, severeness, severity

   used of the degree of something undesirable e.g. pain or weather