gravitas

noun

Definition of gravitasnext
as in gravity
formal a very serious quality or manner The new leader has an air of gravitas that commands respect. a comic actress who lacks the gravitas for dramatic roles

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of gravitas Henriksen plays his part to the hilt here, bringing a gravitas that few actors would consider bringing to the role of a shoot-'em-up movie villain. — Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 11 Jan. 2023 Singer-songwriter-keyboardist McVie took an important role in its multi-platinum efforts, with her warmth and gravitas balancing the contributions of her younger new bandmates. — Chris Morris, Variety, 30 Nov. 2022 Tell me about filming that scene and bringing the proper gravitas to a moment like that. — Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 22 Nov. 2022 The 66-year-old Showalter brought a sense of stability and gravitas to a franchise that had been saddled with on- and off-the-field issues over the past several seasons. — David Brandt, BostonGlobe.com, 15 Nov. 2022 See All Example Sentences for gravitas
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gravitas
  1. gravity
  2. earnestness
  3. seriousness
  4. determination
  5. earnest
  6. solemnity
  7. attentiveness
  8. humorlessness
Noun
  • No bigger than a microwave oven, Idefix will plop onto Phobos by itself, bouncing for several minutes before coming to a halt in the moon's extraordinarily low gravity.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 21 Oct. 2026
  • At the time, Rastinejad and her colleagues wondered whether a black hole’s gravity had ripped up a companion neutron star, as if unseen godly hands had pulled it apart like dough.
    — Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of gravity
Noun
  • Karen is newly sober, newly released, and seemingly determined to approach this chapter of her life with an earnestness that the rest of the cast may not be emotionally equipped to accommodate.
    — Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Elizabeth Strout illustrates a kind man with an endearing earnestness about him who struggles with the fact that the world is not so simple anymore.
    — Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of earnestness
Noun
  • The food obsessions, fears and even nightmares went away, but so too did Jasper’s grasp of the seriousness of his condition.
    — Anna Cooban, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Mandell never let his artistic seriousness stand in the way of his silliness.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of seriousness
Noun
  • Lydia obviously provides some support, ballast and encouragement, determination for him.
    — Hilary Lewis, HollywoodReporter, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Any value or meaning your creative work will ever have begins with your determination to actually do it.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of determination
Noun
  • By May 2026, all 11 of xAI’s original cofounders had departed the company, a cascade that began in earnest in February when Tony Wu, described as one of the most operationally central cofounders, announced his resignation.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 24 June 2026
  • Modern viticulture began in earnest here in the 1970s before blossoming in the ’90s.
    — Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 22 June 2026
Definition of earnest
Noun
  • Adding to the solemnity of the occasion was a string quartet that played two slow movements from Alban Berg’s Lyric Suite.
    — Peter E. Gordon, The New York Review of Books, 3 Oct. 2026
  • What’s also obvious from Mel’s photography is the solemnity of these places and the humanity of those living and working within them.
    — Stephanie Hanes, Christian Science Monitor, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of solemnity
Noun
  • Next-level attentiveness from friendly staff certainly helps.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Pisces February 19 – March 20 Relationships benefit from attentiveness today.
    — Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of attentiveness
Noun
  • One of my major disappointments in a lot of the writing was its humorlessness.
    — Diya Chacko, Oc Register, 21 Oct. 2025
Definition of humorlessness

Browse Nearby Words

graving
gravitas
gravitate
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Cite this Entry

“Gravitas.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gravitas. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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