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 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 Shane Hollander, the serious-minded captain of the Montreal Meteors, and star and playboy Ilya Rozanov of the Boston Bears are played by Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie, respectively. — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 8 Oct. 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
  • Amid a national cinema that has become internationally recognized for perverse plotting and deadpan absurdism, writer-director Alexis Alexiou‘s third feature stands out for its stark storytelling and earnest emotional intensity.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 30 Aug. 2026
  • But there’s also a subtle rejection of the earnest wokeness of years past.
    — Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of earnest
Adjective
  • Wearing something slightly more playful also helped keep the whole day from feeling too serious or dramatic.
    — Elly Leavitt, Vogue, 2 Sep. 2026
  • But then Sandy stops by for a friendly chat, and his daughter Nina (Zosia Mamet, ice-cold and slightly underused) gets serious.
    — Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of serious
Adjective
  • The music was imbued with grace and dignity in both its most introspective and uplifting moments.
    — George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Aug. 2026
  • For Sézalory, Sézane has always been introspective, informed by her personal taste and dress sense.
    — Alice Cary, Vogue, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of introspective
Adjective
  • Davis was much more somber, and his attorney, Wayne Higgins, is heard frequently admonishing his client for volunteering unnecessary information.
    — Taylor Romine, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Bookended by drone shots of the Macedonian countryside and a somber cello refrain by Novogradska, this 86-minute doc is otherwise composed of scoreless interviews with subjects seated in front of black curtains and captured in medium range.
    — Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of somber
Adjective
  • The slow chimes of Big Ben sounded, and then the newsreader’s solemn voice with the headlines.
    — Helen Simpson, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026
  • In addition, the new king will receive a solemn ecclesiastical blessing in Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim.
    — Stefania Conrieri, Vanity Fair, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of solemn
Adjective
  • He is best known for introducing the idea of dynamical similarity to cosmological systems — a mathematical realization of philosophical principles in physics.
    — Big Think, Big Think, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Shankara advises that worshipping gods with names and stories through devotional rituals and sacred images (murtis) is an acceptable step for some people on the path toward a more philosophical understanding of an all-pervasive ultimate reality.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of philosophical
Adjective
  • The talk is grave, the editing unhurried; the camera holds multiple characters in the frame and watches them from a sedate remove.
    — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 30 July 2026
  • In its own way, the new film is a further tribute to the late Michael’s greatness as a performer, as the footage captured him giving his all — even in front of a sedate Beijing audience.
    — David Chiu, PEOPLE, 28 July 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 2 Sep. 2026.

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