serious

serious — 形容詞

1. describes a situation, event, or problem that is bad enough to cause real worry

1.形容詞B1
釋義

嚴重的

形容情況或後果很糟糕

describes a situation, event, or problem that is bad enough to cause real worry or danger

例句

A serious fire broke out in the factory, forcing everyone to leave the building.

工廠發生了一場嚴重的大火，每個人都得離開大樓。

serious + disaster noun (fire / accident / storm)

Owen knew the problem was serious when the manager called an urgent meeting.

Owen 知道問題很嚴重，因為經理召集了緊急會議。

同義詞
  • severe

    stronger and more clinical; used for extreme weather, pain, or medical cases

  • critical

    used when the situation could become life-threatening or disastrous

  • grave

    more formal and dramatic; suggests deep worry and urgency

反義詞
  • minor

    describes small, unimportant problems that cause little worry

文法句型

serious + noun (damage/problem/accident)

be + serious

用法筆記

Commonly placed before disaster or trouble nouns: fire, accident, injury, damage, problem, crime. Describes things with lasting bad effects, not everyday minor issues.

常見錯誤

❌I have a serious headache today.
✅I have a bad headache today.
💡'serious' is for dangerous or long-lasting problems, not everyday complaints.

2. used to describe a health problem that is very bad and could put a person's life

2.形容詞B1
釋義

病重；重病的

形容病情危急、有生命危險

used to describe a health problem that is very bad and could put a person's life in danger

例句

A serious lung infection kept Christopher in the hospital for almost two weeks.

Christopher 得了嚴重的肺部感染，住院將近兩週。

serious + illness noun (infection / disease / condition)

The doctors told Shirin that her grandmother's condition was serious but stable.

醫生告訴 Shirin，她祖母的病況雖然嚴重，但還算穩定。

同義詞
  • critical

    used when a patient is in immediate danger of dying

  • severe

    describes the intensity of the illness itself, not the patient's overall state

反義詞
  • stable

    used by doctors to say the patient's condition is not getting worse

文法句型

serious + illness/disease/infection

condition is serious

用法筆記

Used primarily in medical contexts. 'Seriously ill' (adverb + adjective) is the more common form in everyday speech when talking about a person directly.

3. meaning what you say and not just pretending, lying, or trying to be funny

3.形容詞A2
釋義

當真的

並非開玩笑；是認真的

meaning what you say and not just pretending, lying, or trying to be funny

例句

Dylan was not joking — he really meant what he said about moving to Japan.

Dylan 不是在開玩笑——他說要搬到日本是真的。

be serious = not joking, common in spoken English

When Ishaan said he would quit his job, everyone thought he was being serious.

Ishaan 說他要辭職時，大家都以為他是開玩笑的。

同義詞
  • genuine

    focuses on being real and not fake in general

  • sincere

    emphasises honest feelings and truthful intentions

  • earnest

    more formal; suggests deep sincerity and lack of humour

反義詞
  • joking

    not meaning what you say; trying to be amusing

  • insincere

    pretending to care or mean something you do not

文法句型

be serious

Are you serious?

be serious about + noun/gerund

用法筆記

Often used in questions (Are you serious?) and in negative statements (I'm not serious). Takes the preposition 'about' when introducing the topic.

常見錯誤

❌Are you serious for moving?
✅Are you serious about moving?
💡the correct preposition after 'serious' is 'about', not 'for'.

4. describes someone who tends to think carefully and behave in a calm, sensible wa

4.形容詞B1
釋義

嚴肅的

形容人沉穩、不苟言笑

describes someone who tends to think carefully and behave in a calm, sensible way rather than being playful or silly

例句

Quinn is a quiet, serious boy who spends most of his time reading books.

Quinn 是個安靜嚴肅的男孩，大部分時間都在看書。

serious + person noun — describes character

The librarian had a serious expression that made the children speak softly.

圖書館員神情嚴肅，孩子們都小聲說話。

同義詞
  • sober

    suggests a calm, restrained manner without humour

  • solemn

    more formal and dignified; suggests gravity and formality

  • thoughtful

    focuses on the habit of thinking deeply rather than the lack of humour

反義詞
  • playful

    light-hearted and full of fun; the opposite of serious personality

  • cheerful

    happy and smiling a lot; contrasts with a serious manner

文法句型

serious + person/look/expression/voice/face

be serious

用法筆記

Describes a person's character, expression, or tone. Implies focus and intelligence, not unfriendliness. Often carries a neutral or slightly positive meaning.

常見錯誤

❌My teacher is very serious, so I do not like her.' — 'serious' does not mean 'mean' or 'strict'.
✅My teacher is serious but kind.

5. putting a lot of time, thought, and effort into something because you believe it

5.形容詞B1
釋義

專注的；堅決

投入大量心力、認真對待

putting a lot of time, thought, and effort into something because you believe it is important

例句

Yuna is serious about becoming a dancer and practises for hours every single day.

Yuna 很專注地想成為舞者，每天都練習好幾個小時。

be serious about + gerund (pursuing a goal)

The team made a serious effort to improve their performance this season.

球隊做出了認真的努力來改善本季的表現。

同義詞
  • determined

    emphasises not giving up despite difficulties

  • dedicated

    suggests loyalty and long-term devotion to a goal

  • committed

    implies a strong sense of promise and responsibility

反義詞

文法句型

be serious about + noun/gerund

serious + effort/attempt/student

用法筆記

Always takes 'about' when specifying the activity: 'serious about [noun/gerund]'. Used positively to show dedication and commitment.

常見錯誤

❌She is serious to learn French.
✅She is serious about learning French.
💡'serious' uses 'about' + gerund, not 'to' + infinitive.

6. describes a romantic couple who are committed to staying together over a long pe

6.形容詞B1
釋義

交往穩定的

情侶關係穩定、有意長久發展

describes a romantic couple who are committed to staying together over a long period, possibly leading to marriage

例句

After dating for two years, Tariq and his girlfriend decided to get serious.

Tariq 和女友交往兩年後，決定穩定下來。

get serious — become committed in a romantic relationship

Paloma told her parents her boyfriend was serious about her and wanted to meet them.

Paloma 告訴爸媽，她的男友對她是認真的，想見他們。

同義詞
  • committed

    broader in use; can apply to any relationship, goal, or promise

反義詞
  • casual

    describes a relationship with no long-term plans or deep commitment

文法句型

be serious about each other

serious relationship

get serious

用法筆記

Only used for romantic relationships. 'Be serious about each other' and 'get serious' are the standard patterns. Not used for friendships or family relationships.

7. requiring careful thought or effort because the topic or activity is important,

7.形容詞B1
釋義

認真的

需認真對待的；非玩樂性質的

requiring careful thought or effort because the topic or activity is important, rather than being something done just for enjoyment.

例句

The students held a serious discussion about climate change and its effects.

學生們認真討論了氣候變遷及其影響。

collocation: serious discussion

Learning Mandarin is a serious commitment that takes years of practice.

學中文是一項嚴肅的承諾，需要多年的練習。

collocation: serious commitment

同義詞
  • important

    broader in meaning; can refer to events that matter rather than activities requiring mental focus

  • significant

    more formal; often describes impact or consequence rather than the effort demanded

  • weighty

    more formal; suggests heavy responsibility or profound implications

反義詞
  • trivial

    describes something unimportant that does not deserve attention

  • frivolous

    describes something done purely for pleasure without serious purpose

文法句型

serious + noun

be serious about + noun/gerund

常見錯誤

❌Emma wore a serious dress to the party.
✅Emma wore a formal dress to the party.
💡'Serious' describes tasks or topics needing focus, not formal clothing styles.
❌Tamar is serious to learn piano.
✅Tamar is serious about learning piano.
💡After 'serious' meaning committed, use the preposition 'about' + gerund, not a to-infinitive.

8. to a very great or impressive degree; used to emphasise how large, strong, or in

8.形容詞B2
釋義

極大的；驚人

程度或數量非常可觀的

to a very great or impressive degree; used to emphasise how large, strong, or intense something is, whether negative or positive.

例句

The earthquake caused serious damage to buildings across the town.

地震對鎮上的建築物造成了嚴重損害。

collocation: serious damage

Valentina has serious doubts about accepting the job offer.

Valentina 對接受這份工作邀約有很大的疑慮。

collocation: serious doubts

同義詞
  • severe

    more restricted to negative contexts such as injury, weather, or punishment

  • extreme

    stronger in tone; suggests the upper limit of what is possible

  • considerable

    more formal and neutral; lacks the emotional weight of 'serious'

反義詞
  • mild

    describes a low degree of intensity

  • slight

    suggests a very small or barely noticeable amount

文法句型

serious + noun (damage, doubt, concern, talent, money)

用法筆記

Often describes the extent of something negative (damage, doubt, concern), but can also refer to impressive positive qualities (talent, money, skill).

常見錯誤

❌Esme has a serious hunger.
✅Esme is very hungry.
💡'Serious' as an intensifier is used with nouns (serious hunger is borderline but sounds odd; 'serious problem' or 'serious need' are natural). Stick with established collocations.
❌Noor has been studying for serious hours.
✅Noor has been studying for a serious number of hours.
💡When modifying a quantity, 'serious' usually pairs with 'amount / number / degree of' rather than directly before the unit.

9. of very high quality or standard; excellent in its kind, used in informal langua

9.形容詞B2
釋義

一流；超讚

品質極佳的（非正式用法）

of very high quality or standard; excellent in its kind, used in informal language to express admiration.

例句

The jazz band at the festival played some serious music last night.

昨晚音樂節上的爵士樂團演奏了超讚的音樂。

informal positive: serious music

Naoko makes serious sushi — the freshest fish in the whole market.

Naoko 做的壽司一流——整個市場最新鮮的魚。

colloquial: serious + food type

同義詞
  • excellent

    standard and formal; suitable for any register

  • top-notch

    informal like 'serious'; more common in American English

  • impressive

    focuses on the effect the thing has on the observer rather than objective quality

反義詞
  • mediocre

    describes something of average or below-average quality

  • ordinary

    suggests nothing special or remarkable

文法句型

serious + noun (music, food, car, coffee)

常見錯誤

❌We had a serious meal at the hotel.' (ambiguous)
✅We had a fantastic meal at the hotel.
💡'Serious' in the positive sense sounds informal and slightly slangy; for neutral or formal descriptions, choose a standard adjective.
❌Lakan owns serious watches.' (vague)
✅Lakan owns some seriously nice watches.
💡When used as an adjective before a concrete object, 'serious' needs a strong shared context to be understood as a compliment.