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serious, a.|ˈsɪərɪəs|
Forms: 5 sery-, ceryows, 5–6 seryous, 6 seryouse, -iouse, 6–7 -eous, (7 superl. seriousest, serioust), 6– serious.
[ad. F. sérieux (14th c.) or its source, late L. sēriōsus, f. L. sērius (whence Sp., Pg., It. serio). Cf. It. serioso.]
1. a. Of persons, their actions, etc.: Having, involving, expressing, or arising from earnest purpose or thought; of grave or solemn disposition or intention; having depth or solidity of character, not light or superficial; now often, concerned with the grave and earnest sides of life as opposed to amusement or pleasure-seeking.
c1440Promp. Parv. 453/2 Seryows, sad and feythefulle, seriosus. 1530Palsgr. 324/1 Seryouse ernest, serieux. 1532More Confut. Tindale Wks. 480/2 Saint Paule woulde not haue made so serious and earnest remembrance of the putting vpon of the handes..if [etc.]. 1597Hooker Eccl. Pol. v. lxii. (1611) 329 All that belongeth to the mysticall perfection of baptisme outwardly, is the element, the word, and the serious application of both vnto him which receiueth both. 1611Beaum. & Fl. King & No K. iii. iii, The King is serious, And cannot now admit your vanities. c1640A. Stafford Just Apol. Fem. Glory (1869) p. xcii, The faire sereous Prince wee are now blest in. 1663Marvell Corr. Wks. (Grosart) II. 95, I do hereby, with my last and seriousest thoughts, salute you. 1710Steele Tatler No. 222 ⁋2 I have taken that Matter into my serious Consideration. 1712Arbuthnot John Bull ii. xii, Shaking off his old serious friends, and keeping company with buffoons and pick⁓pockets. 1823Scott Quentin D. Introd., I was..glad to see that she took a serious thought of any kind. 1838–9Kemble Resid. in Georgia (1863) 20, I really entertain serious thoughts of learning to use a gun. 1849Macaulay Hist. Eng. iii. I. 320 His chief serious employment was the care of his property. 1882Mozley Remin. (ed. 2) I. 64 He was too serious to smile; indeed, I cannot remember him ever smiling except sadly. 1897Allbutt's Syst. Med. IV. 619 Such a dietary, adapted for an adult man, is little irksome to any serious patient.
†b. Earnestly bent or applied (to the pursuit of something); keen. Obs.
1567J. Maplet Gr. Forest A 5 Julius Cæsar,..serious after the inquisition of good Discipline. 1576Fleming Panopl. Epist. 178 If I should seeme serious, in doing seruice to the aduauncement of mine owne wit. Ibid. 186 They assaulted me with more serious supplications, not holding me..excusable. 1671Milton P.R. i. 203 All my mind was set Serious to learn and know.
†c. Staid, steady, reliable. Obs.
1693J. Clayton in Misc. Curiosa (1708) III. 291, I have been told by very serious Planters, that 30 or 40 Years since,..the Thunder was more fierce.
2. a. Earnest about the things of religion; religious.
1796Simeon in Carus Life (1847) 117, I could wish..that the custom of drinking toasts was banished from the tables of the serious, because it tends to excess. 1838Dickens Nich. Nick. xvi, Pleasant Place, Finsbury. Wages, twelve guineas. No tea, no sugar. Serious family. 1840Newman Lett. (1891) II. 311 Such a general feeling exists amongst serious people of the need of religious communities.
b. Cited as a canting expression.
1809Kendall Trav. I. xxxiii. 323 His sons death brought him to God—he grew serious [note, Serious has the cant acceptation of religious]. 1819Shelley Peter Bell 3rd i. i, And Peter Bell, when he had been With fresh-imported Hell-fire warmed, Grew serious. 1885‘F. Anstey’ Tinted Venus x, No one knows the power that a single serious hairdresser might effect with worldly customers.
3. Dealing with or regarding a matter on its grave side; not jesting, trifling, or playful; in earnest. Hence, of theatrical compositions or actors, not jocular or comic. Also spec. of music and literature (in contrast with ‘light’).
[1590: see 4.] 1712–13Swift Jrnl. to Stella 17 Jan., I was going to be serious, because it was seriously put; but I turned it to a jest. 1762–71H. Walpole Vertue's Anecd. Paint. (1786) IV. 224 Magnificent serious pantomimes. 1796Oulton Theatres Lond. II. 107 Orpheus and Euridice, a grand serious Opera, translated from the Italian. 1797Encycl. Brit. (ed. 3) XII. 497/1 Gaetano Guadagni..had been in this country..as serious-man in a burletta troop of singers. 1825T. Hook Sayings Ser. ii. Passion & Princ. viii. III. 104 A note of enquiry, half serious, half waggish. 1864H. Morley Jrnl. Lond. Playgoer (1866) 339 A play which demands alternation of serious and comic acting. 1875Jowett Plato (ed. 2) I. 201 The gentlemen are not serious, but are only playing with you. 1901G. B. Shaw Three Plays for Puritans p. xxiv, The Diabolonian position is new to the London playgoer of today, but not to lovers of serious literature. 1934S. R. Nelson All about Jazz i. 14 To compare modern syncopation with serious music as an art form is manifestly ridiculous. 1942H. Haycraft Murder for Pleasure xii. 265 Many ‘serious’ writers manage to support their solider endeavours by turning their talents to occasional short magazine fiction. 1960L. P. Hartley Facial Justice xxiii. 200 But to return to classical, or ‘serious’ music. 1971‘E. Candy’ Words for Murder Perhaps ii. 25 You open a detective story in the mood in which you might attend a sherry party... But you approach a serious novel as you go to meet someone you greatly care for. 1974Country Life 26 Dec. 1989/1 The BBC's serious and light music departments function as separate..entities.
4. a. Requiring earnest thought, consideration, or application; performed with earnestness of purpose.
1531Elyot Gov. i. xx. (1537) 76 b, Socrates..was not ashamed to account daunsynge amonge the seriouse disciplines. 1590Shakes. Com. Err. ii. ii. 29 Your sawcinesse will iest vpon my loue, And make a Common of my serious howres. 1607Chapman Bussy d'Ambois ii. ii, And never My fruitless love shall let your serious honour. a1625Beaum. & Fl. Woman's Prize iii. iv, Row. She made a puppy of me... Bya. She must doe so sometimes, and oftentimes: Love were too serious else. 1706E. Ward Wooden World Diss. (1708) 35 He makes Cards and Dice his serious Entertainment. 1825Lamb Elia ii. Barbara S―, I have played at serious whist with Mr. Liston. 1884Manch. Exam. 26 May 6/2 Perhaps more serious reading would then dethrone the eternal novel. 1886Ruskin Præterita I. vi. 196 Knowing of sorrow only just so much as to make life serious to me.
†b. Used for purposes of business. rare.
1621Quarles Argalus & P. (1678) 32 The treacherous Lady stept aside Into her serious closet.
5. a. Of grave demeanour or aspect.
1613Shakes. Hen. VIII, Prol. 2 A weighty and a serious brow. a1661Fuller Worthies, Staffs. (1662) iii. 47 Queen Elizabeth was serious (I dare not say sullen) and out of good humour. 1688Evelyn Diary 18 Dec., He is very stately, serious and reserv'd. 1781Cowper Conversat. 297 A shallow brain behind a serious mask. 1838Dickens Nich. Nick. x, A good portrait..must be either serious or smirking, or it's no portrait at all. 1859Meredith R. Feverel ii, White smocks, and slate, surmounted by hats of a serious brim. 1877Mrs. Oliphant Makers Flor. iii. 82 His aspect was grave and quiet, and his dress seemly and serious.
b. Inducing or associated with grave or solemn thoughts.
1822Lamb Elia ii. Bks. & Reading, I should not care to be caught in the serious avenues of some cathedral alone, and reading Candide. 1849Ruskin Sev. Lamps vi. §1 It would be difficult to conceive a scene less dependent upon any other interest than that of its own secluded and serious beauty.
6. a. Weighty, important, grave; (of quantity or degree) considerable, not trifling.
1584B. R. tr. Herodotus i. 11 Ether permit me to..make one in y⊇ voiage, or alleage some more wayghty & seryous reason why you retayne me. 1687A. Lovell tr. Thevenot's Trav. i. b 2 b, So many different Employments..have not at all diverted him from the study of the most serious and difficult matters. 1782Warton Ess. Pope II. xii. 380 Swift was always reading lectures of œconomy..to his poetical friends. A shilling, says he, is a serious thing. 1793Smeaton Edystone L. §103 To level the Sugar-Loaf to its base, would of itself be a serious work. 1810Crabbe Borough xiii. 28 Serious sums in healing misery spent. 1835Alison Hist. Eur. IV. xxx. 336 The light infantry of the enemy, which was..making serious progress. 1861F. A. Paley æschylus (ed. 2) Prometh. 433 note, In the epodus..it is probable that serious corruptions exist. 1875Jowett Plato (ed. 2) III. 13 Of the numerous company, three only take any serious part in the discussion. 1884Pall Mall G. 11 Sept. 1/2 All vessels of serious tonnage must lie at the anchorage, about twelve miles by river from the city. 1884Times 27 June 4 The damage is not thought to be serious.
b. Attended with danger; giving cause for anxiety.
1800E. Hervey Mourtray Fam. IV. 260 As well as she had ever been since her serious illness. 1891Daily News 21 Nov. 3/5 He was badly thrown... It is feared that his condition is serious.
7. quasi-n. the serious: that which is serious; the serious side of life, etc.
c1730Ramsay Some Contents ii, Dunbar does..in the serious schyne. 1749Fielding Tom Jones v. i. heading, Of the serious in writing, and for what purpose it is introduced. 1897Flandrau Harvard Episodes 71 You have found out how seriously he objects to the serious.
8. Comb. serious-minded adj., serious-mindedly adv.
1825Hood To Sylv. Urban i, A sober age made serious drunk by thee. 1837Carlyle Fr. Rev. III. iv. iii, It was piercing and fearful, and a most serious-looking thing. 1845S. Austin Ranke's Hist. Ref. I. 489 The thinking and serious-minded among his contemporaries. 1894Baring-Gould Queen of Love v, He had been brought up in the straightest sect of serious-mindedness. 1921A. Huxley Crome Yellow vii. 71, I sometimes wonder whether Denis is altogether serious-minded, whether he isn't rather a dilettante. 1965H. Gold Man who was not with It xxxii. 310, I had a serious-minded mother. 1966‘W. Cooper’ Memoirs of New Man i. v. 64, I heard two people serious-mindedly handing them to and fro. |