serious

From Wiktionary

serious is part of the Basic English 850.

[change] Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /ˈsɪəriəs/
•  Audio (US)^{help, file}

[change] Adjective

Positive serious

Comparative more serious

Superlative most serious

1. A problem or situation is serious if it is not funny or comical, but important.

   This is a serious problem. We must do something.

2. A person is serious if the person is not laughing or joking, but saying what they mean.

   I see. When you said the room was empty, you were serious!

   The woman's face looked serious, so I knew she was saying something important.

[change] Related words

• seriously
• seriousness