seriously

seriously
[[t]sɪ͟əriəsli[/t]]
♦♦♦
1) ADV: ADV with cl You use seriously to indicate that you are not joking and that you really mean what you say.

Seriously, I only smoke in the evenings.

2) CONVENTION (feelings) You say `seriously' when you are surprised by what someone has said, as a way of asking them if they really mean it. [SPOKEN]

`I tried to chat him up at the general store.' He laughed. `Seriously?'

3) See also serious
4) PHRASE: V inflects If you take someone or something seriously, you believe that they are important and deserve attention.

It's hard to take them seriously in their pretty grey uniforms...

The phrase was not meant to be taken seriously.


English dictionary. 2008.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?
Synonyms:

Look at other dictionaries:

  • seriously — c.1500, from SERIOUS (Cf. serious) + LY (Cf. ly) (2). To take (something) seriously is from 1782 …   Etymology dictionary

  • seriously — [adv1] not humorously actively, all joking aside*, cool it*, cut the comedy*, determinedly, down, earnestly, fervently, for real*, gravely, in all conscience, in all seriousness, in earnest, intently, passionately, purposefully, resolutely,… …   New thesaurus

  • seriously — index purely (positively) Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • seriously — ► ADVERB ▪ in a serious manner or to a serious extent …   English terms dictionary

  • seriously */*/*/ — UK [ˈsɪərɪəslɪ] / US [ˈsɪrɪəslɪ] adverb 1) in a way that is bad or dangerous enough to make you worried seriously ill/hurt/worried: Was anyone in the car seriously hurt? • Collocations: Adjectives frequently used with seriously ▪  damaged, hurt,… …   English dictionary

  • seriously — se|ri|ous|ly [ sıriəsli ] adverb *** 1. ) in a way that is bad or dangerous enough to make you worried: seriously ill/hurt/worried: Was anyone in the car seriously hurt? 2. ) in a way that shows that you think something is important:… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • seriously — adverb 1 in a serious way: I think it s about time we talked seriously about our relationship. | Is she seriously ill? | I m seriously concerned about Ben. 2 take sb/sth seriously to believe that someone or something is worth paying attention to… …   Longman dictionary of contemporary English

  • seriously — se|ri|ous|ly W2S2 [ˈsıəriəsli US ˈsır ] adv 1.) very much or to a great degree seriously ill/injured/damaged etc ▪ Was she seriously hurt? ▪ I m seriously worried about Ben. ▪ Something was seriously wrong . 2.) a) in a way that is not joking,… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • seriously — adverb 1) Faye nodded seriously Syn: solemnly, earnestly, gravely, soberly, somberly, sternly, grimly, dourly, humorlessly; pensively, thoughtfully 2) she was seriously injured Syn …   Thesaurus of popular words

  • seriously*/*/ — [ˈsɪəriəsli] adv 1) in a way that is bad or dangerous enough to make you worried Was anyone in the car seriously hurt?[/ex] 2) in a way that shows that you think something is important and should be thought about carefully We have to think… …   Dictionary for writing and speaking English

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