more serious

ADJECTIVE

somber, humorless

Synonyms

STRONGEST

deliberate genuine honest severe sincere thoughtful

STRONG

sober

WEAK

austere bound bound and determined businesslike cold sober contemplative deadpan determined downbeat earnest funereal go for broke grave grim intent long-faced meditative no-nonsense pensive pokerfaced reflective resolute resolved sedate set solemn staid steady stern unhumorous unsmiling weighty

Antonyms

STRONGEST

deceptive dishonest false insincere misleading untrustworthy

WEAK

flippant funny happy light minor trivial unimportant unserious

ADJECTIVE

crucial, weighty

Synonyms

STRONGEST

dangerous deep difficult far-reaching grievous important major meaningful severe significant tough urgent

WEAK

arduous fateful fell formidable grave grim hard heavy laborious meaning business menacing momentous no joke no laughing matter of consequence operose out for blood playing hard ball pressing smoking sobering strenuous strictly business threatening ugly unamusing unhumorous worrying

Antonyms

STRONGEST

calm easy facile friendly insignificant little meaningless minor small trivial unimportant worthless

WEAK

flippant funny happy light unserious

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.

But there's a more serious side to the project, which has always mixed pop thrills with cross-cultural understanding.

From BBC • Jun. 21, 2026

This lack of critical spirit may be related to one of the book’s more serious faults.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 19, 2026

Clayton may be in some respects a more serious choice, but the law creating the office back in 2004 required that the director have “extensive national security expertise”—something Clayton lacks as well.

From Slate • Jun. 15, 2026

The Doctor will be sillier or more serious, calmer or crazier, more physical or more cerebral, and never again necessarily a white dude.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 11, 2026

But collections also provided more serious scholars with specimens that helped them formulate theories on the natural order of life.

From "The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science" by Joyce Sidman