serious-minded

adjective

Definition of serious-mindednext
as in earnest

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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 serious-minded Inside, serious-minded speakers compete with bursts of music and chanting from neighboring pavilions. — Jeff Young, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Nov. 2025 But a bigger problem is that his earnest, hard-working performance can’t help but utilize the same tools now familiar from much less serious-minded contexts. — Dennis Harvey, Variety, 12 Nov. 2025 Gore then spent eight years earning a reputation as a smart, serious-minded governing partner to Clinton. — Time, 3 Nov. 2025 In this more serious-minded (and Madea-free) movie from Perry, Idris Elba plays Monty, a hard-working father who loses custody of his daughters to his drug-addled wife (Tasha Smith). — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for serious-minded
Recent Examples of Synonyms for serious-minded
  1. earnest
  2. serious
  3. introspective
  4. somber
  5. solemn
  6. philosophical
  7. sedate
Adjective
  • Of the young adults that comprise Ellora’s defense force, earnest airbender Jae (Major Curda) and himbo waterbender Daemin (Darren Barnet) make for a particularly amusing pairing.
    — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 9 Oct. 2026
  • A certain ingenuousness, an earnest impatience with the world’s many injustices, is a hallmark of Barbara Kingsolver’s novels.
    — Sam Worley, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of earnest
Adjective
  • The subject is of particular interest at CBS News, where Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss has repeatedly encouraged the network’s journalists to dedicate serious resources to finding a potential link.
    — semafor.com, semafor.com, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Illinois Republicans are angry that the congressional map is deliberately drawn to their serious disadvantage, with some districts almost comically gerrymandered.
    — John T. Shaw, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of serious
Adjective
  • Thankfully, Brandon is one of Austen’s most introspective suitors, and Nordrum is not unlike the character in real life — thoughtful, gentle and a little self-effacing.
    — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The patience required to piece them together paints Winehouse as an introspective woman as opposed to her party girl that the tabloids portrayed her as.
    — Hikmat Mohammed, ARTnews.com, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of introspective
Adjective
  • Some are somber, like the single mom Mekko’s left in the lurch or a fellow journalist who prefers feel-good fluff pieces to muckraking.
    — Alison Herman, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The trailer opens on the somber, grayscale world of London before entering the wild, psychedelic, and magical world of Narnia.
    — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of somber
Adjective
  • The spirituality throughout is imbued with a solemn reverence more Catholic than Baptist.
    — Kiana Mickles, Pitchfork, 13 Oct. 2026
  • This production, solemn about our obligations to one another but committed to providing a good night out at the theater, is neither.
    — Daniel D'Addario, Variety, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of solemn
Adjective
  • This contestation takes place through philosophical debates, religious disputations, and public discussions, whether direct or indirect, open or clandestine.
    — Mansoor Moaddel, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Ultron’s philosophical snarkiness and jaded, exasperated air from Age of Ultron carry over here.
    — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of philosophical
Adjective
  • The high-wire act that followed—in which performers had to make these bland conceits into something funny without, ostensibly, preparing any jokes in advance—introduced a tension that made sketch shows feel sedate and uneven by comparison.
    — Dan Brooks, New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Tennessee’s execution protocol relies on pentobarbital, a caustic barbiturate that slows down breathing and has been used to treat seizures, sedate people before surgery and euthanize animals.
    — Keri Blakinger, ProPublica, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of sedate

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seriously
serious-minded
serious-mindedness
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Cite this Entry

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

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