SERIOUS-MINDED Synonyms: 49 Similar and Opposite Words

serious-minded

adjective

Definition of serious-minded

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

Adjective

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
Such requests typically don’t start in earnest until closer to the end of the fourth quarter, which is why most TV networks don’t like to declare sell-out until just days before the Super Bowl starts.

— Brian Steinberg, Variety, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of earnest

Adjective

Doctors of podiatric medicine (DPMs) treat all foot conditions ranging from toenails, bunions, fractures, and plantar fasciitis to serious diabetic foot complications that can lead to limb amputation.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 5 Oct. 2026
What began as a hobby to help explain complex redistricting cases more effectively has grown into a serious media operation.

— Max Tani, semafor.com, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of serious

Adjective

Those garlands of noise suggest that this show will be geared more toward communal arena rock than introspective bedroom pop.

— Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 30 Sep. 2026
About four years after sharing her last full-length album, Dirt Femme, her first since marrying husband Charlie Twaddle in 2020, the Swedish pop star, 38, is back with an introspective new body of work, Estrus, out now.

— Jack Irvin, PEOPLE, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of introspective

Adjective

Jerusalem — Three years to the minute after the start of the deadliest single day in Israel’s history, the country marked the somber occasion with a series of ceremonies, memorials and protests at more than 400 locations.

— Oren Liebermann, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2026
On the one hand, Ravana’s defeat is celebrated with jubilation; on the other, the goddess Durga’s departure is marked by a somber farewell.

— Tamanna Nangia, Encyclopedia Britannica, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of somber

Adjective

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
Zack Wheeler pitched a gem against Tampa Bay on Sunday and untangled a few thousand knots inside the stomachs of Phillies fans, and even from those inside a mostly solemn clubhouse.

— CBS News, CBS News, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of solemn

Adjective

The team works with local hospitals to negotiate special rates for their patients who are Amish or members of the broader Plain community, a group whose philosophical beliefs keep them from enrolling in formal health insurance plans.

— Deidre McPhillips, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2026
After Ted arrives and Roy departs, Ted and Rebecca have their own, more philosophical heart-to-heart about how being messy is part of being alive.

— Keith Phipps, Vulture, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of philosophical

Adjective

The relative seclusion of the sedate suburb likely appeals to sports stars looking for privacy.

— Catherine Odom, Miami Herald, 9 Sep. 2026
Easy to find on Johnston’s sedate 86th Street, the private setting conveniently provides easy access around the region.

— Richard Lane, Des Moines Register, 7 Sep. 2026

Definition of sedate

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“Serious-minded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/serious-minded. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of serious-minded

adjective

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