Emily Dickinson Lexicon

SE'RI-OUS, a. [Fr. serieux; Sp. serio; It. serio, serioso; L. serius.]

1. Grave in manner or disposition; solemn; not light, gay or volatile; as, a serious man; a serious habit or disposition.
2. Really intending what is said; being in earnest; not jesting or making a false pretense. Are you serious, or in jest?
3. Important; weighty; not trifling. The holy Scriptures bring to our ears the most serious things in the world. – Young.
4. Particularly attentive to religious concerns or one's own religious state.