INDEX:
serious situation
1. when a situation, problem accident etc is bad
2. a bad situation that might get worse
serious/not joking
3. to really mean what you say
4. to believe someone really means what they say
5. used to tell someone that you are serious, or to ask if someone is serious
6. someone who is quiet and does not laugh or joke much
7. behaving in a serious way
8. to look serious when you are joking
9. to tell someone to stop being too serious
RELATED WORDS
see also
↑ BAD
↑ IMPORTANT
↑ ACCIDENT
↑ ILLNESS/DISEASE
↑ ILLNESS/DISEASE
↑ CRIME
↑ SITUATION
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1. when a situation, problem accident etc is bad
▷ serious /ˈsɪ ə riəs/ [adjective]
very bad - use this about problems, accidents, illnesses, or crimes :
▪ The recent storms have caused serious damage.
▪ The climbers got into serious difficulties and had to be air-lifted to safety.
▪ In the last two weeks, the situation has become more serious, with riots and strikes spreading across the country.
▪ Violent crime is a serious problem in and around the capital.
▪ The boy was taken to hospital with serious head injuries.
seriously [adverb]
▪ The collapse in coffee prices has seriously affected the economies of Brazil and Colombia.
seriously ill/injured
▪ Her father is seriously ill in hospital.
seriousness [uncountable noun]
▪ The public are beginning to realize the seriousness of drunk driving.
▷ bad /bæd/ [adjective]
a problem, illness, or accident that is bad is severe, and makes you feel worried :
▪ The pain was really bad.
▪ Paul’s off work - he’s got a bad cold.
▪ Judy had been in a bad car crash several years before, and was still too nervous to drive.
things are bad
a situation is bad spoken
▪ Things are bad in York - some people’s houses have been flooded three times.
badly [adverb]
badly injured/damaged/affected etc
▪ Two of the passengers were killed, and the driver was badly injured.
▪ The front of the shop had been blown away, and the roof was badly damaged.
▷ grave /greɪv/ [adjective] formal
a grave situation or mistake is very serious and worrying because people are in danger and because the situation seems likely to get worse :
▪ The situation is grave -- war now seems inevitable.
▪ The ambassador declared that there would be grave consequences if the hostages were not released.
grave danger
▪ A thick fog descended on the mountain, and I knew that we were in grave danger.
grave risk
▪ There was a grave risk that the operation would leave him partly paralysed.
grave mistake/error
▪ ‘It would be a grave mistake,’ said the president, ‘to ignore the problem, and pretend that it will go away.’
gravely [adverb]
gravely ill
▪ Leopold’s mother was gravely ill, and he returned to Vienna as quickly as he could.
gravity /ˈgrævɪti, ˈgrævəti/ [uncountable noun]
when something is grave :
▪ He didn’t seem to realize the gravity of the situation.
▷ critical /ˈkrɪtɪk ə l/ [adjective]
a critical situation is very serious and dangerous and might get worse very suddenly - use this especially when people will die if it does not improve :
▪ The situation is said to be critical and the army has been brought in to disperse the mob.
▪ Things are now critical. Hospitals have no medicine, and people are running out of food.
be in a critical condition British /be in critical condition
American so ill or badly injured that you could die
▪ Eight people were killed and four are still in a critical condition.
critically [adverb]
critically ill/injured
▪ A police officer is critically ill after being shot in the chest.
▷ desperate /ˈdesp ə rɪt, ˈdesp ə rət/ [adjective]
a desperate situation or problem is very serious or dangerous, and it does not seem possible that it will improve - use this especially when people will die if it does not improve :
▪ Refugees on the border are living in appalling conditions with desperate shortages of food, medicine and water.
▪ The situation was desperate. The enemy were now only a mile away.
be in desperate need of something
▪ The hospital is full of people in desperate need of medical attention.
▷ acute /əˈkjuːt/ [adjective]
an acute illness, problem, or situation is one that has become very serious or dangerous, and needs to be dealt with quickly :
▪ She was taken to the hospital suffering from acute appendicitis.
▪ Patients suffering from acute depression may well need medication.
▪ Nowhere is the problem more acute than Los Angeles County, where gang-related homicide is on the increase.
▪ In San Diego, the shortage of skilled workers is acute.
▷ grim /grɪm/ [adjective]
a situation or piece of news that is grim is serious and unpleasant, and people think it will not get better :
▪ The situation is grim for the innocent people, caught up in this conflict.
▪ Rescue workers are continuing the grim task of searching for bodies.
grim news
▪ The next few weeks brought more grim news, as the economic crisis began to deepen.
grim prospect
something bad that will probably happen
▪ Two thousand car workers face the grim prospect of redundancy.
things look grim
the situation seems grim
▪ Things look pretty grim for farmers at the moment.
▷ be no laughing matter /biː nəʊ ˈlɑːfɪŋ ˌmætəʳǁ-ˈlæf-/ [verb phrase] spoken
use this to say that something is serious and not something you should joke about :
▪ Getting up for work at 5am every day is no laughing matter, especially in winter.
▪ English teachers often joked that they could not pass the exam, but for the students it was no laughing matter.
▷ be a matter of life and death/be a matter of life or death /biː ə ˌmætər əv ˌlaɪf ə n ˈdeθ, biː ə ˌmætər əv ˌlaɪf ɔːʳ ˈdeθ/ [verb phrase]
if a situation is a matter of life and death, it is very serious, and what you do will affect whether the situation ends well or not - use this especially when it is possible that someone will die :
▪ People grow their own food, and the success of their harvest is literally a matter of life or death.
▪ In this town football isn’t just a game - it’s a matter of life and death.
▷ be no joke /biː ˌnəʊ ˈdʒəʊk/ [verb phrase] informal
if you say that a situation or event is no joke, it is difficult or unpleasant :
▪ It’s no joke if you have an accident in the mountains -- it’s fifty miles to the nearest hospital.
▪ Crossing the road was no joke with all the early morning traffic.
2. a bad situation that might get worse
▷ crisis /ˈkraɪsɪs, ˈkraɪsəs/ [countable noun]
a very bad situation in which there is a risk that serious problems will become suddenly worse - use this about political or economic affairs or personal or emotional problems :
▪ Their marriage was going through a crisis which almost ended in divorce.
▪ The Cuban missile crisis in 1960 was probably the closest we have been to nuclear war.
▪ In recent years, the country has suffered a profound political and economic crisis, and deprivation is acute.
in crisis
▪ The Health Service is in crisis.
▪ a charity set up to help families in crisis
in a crisis
▪ We need someone who can stay calm in a crisis.
spark a crisis
cause a crisis to start
▪ The President announced his resignation, sparking a crisis in the government.
▷ emergency /ɪˈmɜːʳdʒ ə nsi/ [countable noun]
a very serious situation, such as an accident, that happens suddenly and needs to be dealt with immediately :
▪ Staff are trained to deal with any emergency.
▪ A fire started in the cargo area, and the pilot was forced to make an emergency landing.
▪ The victim was rushed to hospital for emergency surgery.
in an emergency
if there is an emergency
▪ In an emergency, dial 911 for police, the fire department or an ambulance.
the emergency services
British the organizations that come to help you if there is an emergency
▪ The emergency services in this area simply couldn’t cope if there were a major accident or terrorist attack.
3. to really mean what you say
▷ be serious /biː ˈsɪ ə riəs/ [verb phrase]
to really mean what you say or really intend to do something :
▪ Do you think she was serious when she said she used to be an actress?
▪ Listen! I’m serious! I’m not lending you any more money!
be serious about
▪ Tina’s quite intelligent, but she’s not really serious about her schoolwork.
serious about doing something
▪ I hope Jeff’s serious about giving up smoking.
get serious about something
start dealing with a problem in a determined way
▪ Car manufacturers should get serious about making security a design priority.
deadly serious
extremely serious
▪ Her voice suddenly sounded deadly serious.
be perfectly/absolutely serious
be serious in a situation where it is hard to believe that someone could be
▪ ‘Look!’ he said, ‘I am perfectly serious. I’m willing to give you $10,000 for your land.’
▷ mean /miːn/ [verb phrase not in progressive]
if someone means what they say, they are being serious when they say it, and they are not pretending or lying :
mean it
especially spoken
▪ I mean it - I’ll scream if you don’t let me go.
▪ She told me she loved me - but I wasn’t sure if she meant it.
mean what you say
▪ I meant what I said, I never want to see you again.
▷ not joking /nɒt ˈdʒəʊkɪŋ/ [verb phrase]
if you say you are not joking, you really mean what you say, even though it seems surprising or unlikely :
▪ There must be about 10 of them in that car - I’m not joking.
▪ She told him she’d call the police if he bothered her again, and she wasn’t joking.
▷ seriously /ˈsɪ ə riəsli/ [adverb]
if you say or do something seriously, you really mean it, really intend to do it, or really think it is important :
▪ Are you seriously suggesting that she should give up her job in order to look after her husband?
seriously intend/want/attempt etc to do something
▪ Those who seriously attempt to kill themselves usually manage to do so.
seriously concerned/interested/worried etc
▪ She was talking about children’s social education at a time when no one else was seriously concerned with it.
▷ mean business /ˌmiːn ˈbɪznə̇s/ [verb phrase] spoken
if someone means business, it is very clear that they will definitely do what they say or what they are threatening to do :
▪ The man had a gun. It was obvious he meant business.
▷ be in earnest /biː ɪn ˈɜːʳnə̇st/ [verb phrase]
if someone is in earnest, they really mean what they say, especially when they are saying what they want or what they intend to do :
▪ I’m sure he was in earnest when he said he wanted to marry her.
be very much in earnest
▪ She spoke lightly, but it was obvious that she was very much in earnest.
4. to believe someone really means what they say
▷ take somebody seriously /ˌteɪk somebody ˈsɪ ə riəsli/ [verb phrase]
to believe that what someone says or does is serious, and worth paying attention to :
▪ Kevin paused for a moment, not sure if Ralph would take him seriously.
▪ He said he was going to build a boat in his back yard, but I didn’t take him seriously!
5. used to tell someone that you are serious, or to ask if someone is serious
▷ really/seriously /ˈrɪəli, ˈsɪ ə riəsli/ [adverb] spoken
say this to emphasize that something surprising is really true, or to ask whether something surprising is really true :
really?/seriously?
▪ ‘She’s quit her job. ’Seriously?"
▪ ‘It took three hours to travel ten miles, the traffic was so bad.’ ‘Really? You must be exhausted.’
▷ no kidding /nəʊ ˈkɪdɪŋ/ especially American, spoken
say this when you think other people will not believe that you are telling the truth, or to ask if someone is joking because what they say does not seem true :
▪ I’m telling you, this guy’s as fast as Carl Lewis -- no kidding!
▪ ‘She’s getting married again.’ ‘No kidding?’
▷ in all seriousness /ɪn ˌɔːl ˈsɪ ə riəsnə̇s/ [adverb] spoken
say this when you are telling someone about something that will be hard for them to believe :
▪ He asked me, in all seriousness, if I would marry him next week.
▪ She had heard someone say, in all seriousness, that women would never make good golfers because of the shape of their bodies.
▷ joking apart /ˌdʒəʊkɪŋ əˈpɑːʳt/ British spoken
say this to show that you are now being serious about something, after you and other people have been joking about it :
▪ Joking apart, I do feel somebody should tell him what we think. It’s for his own good.
6. someone who is quiet and does not laugh or joke much
▷ serious /ˈsɪ ə riəs/ [adjective]
someone who is serious is quiet and sensible, and does not seem to enjoy laughing and joking :
▪ Friends described him as a serious and thoughtful man.
serious about
▪ Laura was always very serious about her work.
▷ earnest /ˈɜːʳnɪst, ˈɜːʳnəst/ [adjective]
someone who is earnest is very serious or too serious, and believes that what they say or do is very important - use this especially about someone who is young or not very experienced :
▪ One earnest young man asked De Mille about the philosophical meaning of his films.
▪ a group of earnest musicians dressed completely in black
earnestly [adverb]
▪ The men began to talk earnestly about protecting the Earth for future generations.
▷ sober /ˈsəʊbəʳ/ [adjective]
someone who is sober is very serious and thinks carefully about things, and does not laugh or joke very often :
▪ I went to see Professor Dandavate, a sober and respected academic.
▪ a sober-looking man in a grey suit
▷ have no sense of humour British /have no sense of humor American /hæv ˌnəʊ sens əv ˈhjuːməʳ/ [verb phrase not in progressive]
someone who has no sense of humour does not understand jokes, funny situations, etc - use this especially when you think someone like this is annoying or boring :
▪ He didn’t laugh at any of my jokes. Maybe taxi drivers just don’t have a sense of humor.
▪ My grandmother didn’t have much of a sense of humour, and she could never understand what we were laughing about.
▷ stuffy /ˈstʌfi/ [adjective]
someone who is stuffy does not laugh or smile at things that other people think are funny, because they are a little formal and have old-fashioned attitudes :
▪ Victor was as old-fashioned as his father, and equally stuffy.
▪ Come on Dad. Don’t be so stuffy!
▷ humourless British /humorless American /ˈhjuːməʳləsǁˈhjuː-, ˈjuː-/ [adjective]
someone who is humourless never laughs at anything and never tries to be funny or tell jokes :
▪ I knew Deaver at college, and remember him as cold, humorless, and aloof.
▪ Since the death of his wife he has become isolated, defensive and humorless.
7. behaving in a serious way
▷ serious /ˈsɪ ə riəs/ [adjective]
if someone says or does something in a serious way, they think that what they are saying or doing is important and should not be joked about :
▪ All the other people in the office seemed to have a very serious attitude towards their work.
serious about
▪ The band are only young, but they’re very serious about their music.
▷ take something seriously /ˌteɪk something ˈsɪ ə riəsli/ [verb phrase]
to think that something is important, and spend a lot of time and effort on it :
▪ I wish Dan would take his work more seriously.
▪ She certainly takes her politics seriously -- she’s always out at meetings.
take life seriously
think that everything in life is very important and serious
▪ He seemed much older than he was, and took life a little too seriously.
▷ grave /greɪv/ [adjective] written
quiet and very serious, especially because something important or worrying has happened :
▪ Holmes looked grave, and stood deep in worried thought for a minute or two.
▪ His expression became very grave when we told him what had happened.
gravely :
▪ ‘We might be too late,’ she said gravely.
▷ solemn /ˈsɒləmǁˈsɑː-/ [adjective]
very serious because of an important or sad occasion or ceremony :
▪ Everyone stood respectfully, and looked solemn throughout the funeral service.
▪ The judge read the verdict in a clear and solemn voice.
solemnly [adverb]
▪ They listened solemnly as the list of those missing at sea was read out.
▷ sombre British /somber American /ˈsɒmbəʳǁˈsɑːm-/ [adjective]
sad, quiet, and serious because something unpleasant or worrying has happened or is going to happen :
▪ They sat in somber silence.
▪ The sun was shining brightly, but the mood was sombre.
▷ grim /grɪm/ [adjective]
serious and not smiling, because you are angry, upset, or worried about something :
▪ She looked grim and upset, standing silently in the corner.
▪ A grim-faced diplomat read out the declaration of war.
grimly [adverb]
▪ This is going to be an awful week, he thought grimly.
8. to look serious when you are joking
▷ keep a straight face /kiːp ə ˌstreɪt ˈfeɪs/ [verb phrase]
to stop yourself from laughing or smiling when you are joking or when you think something is funny :
▪ Barbara tried to keep a straight face, but in the end she just couldn’t help laughing.
▪ He looked so ridiculous -- I don’t know how I managed to keep a straight face.
▷ straightfaced /ˌstreɪtˈfeɪst◂/ [adverb]
if you say something straightfaced, you do not show by your expression that it is just a joke and is not really true :
▪ Lea told him, completely straightfaced, that sunglasses are called moonglasses in Canada.
▷ deadpan /ˈdedpæn/ [adjective/adverb]
if you do or say something funny in a deadpan way, you deliberately do or say it without smiling or laughing :
▪ Laurel and Hardy played all their great comic roles completely deadpan.
▪ the deadpan humour of TV comic Paul Merton
▪ His tone was completely deadpan, and it was difficult to tell if he was joking or not.
9. to tell someone to stop being too serious
▷ lighten up /ˌlaɪtn ˈʌp/ spoken
use this to tell someone not to be so serious about something and to relax about it :
▪ Hey, lighten up! It’s only a game, you know!
▪ ‘But we’re not supposed to leave campus at lunchtime, we’ll get into trouble.’ ‘Lighten up, it’ll be fine.’