different between serious vs thorough

English

Etymology

From Middle English seryows, from Old French serieux, from Medieval Latin s?ri?sus, an extension of Latin s?rius (“grave, earnest, serious”), from Proto-Indo-European *swer- (“heavy”). Cognate with German schwer (“heavy, difficult, severe”), Old English sw?r (“heavy, grave, grievous”). More at swear, sweer.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /?s???.i.?s/, [?si??.i.?s]
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?s??.?i.?s/
• Rhymes: -???i?s
• Homophones: cereous, Sirius (one pronunciation)

Adjective

serious (comparative more serious or seriouser, superlative most serious or seriousest)

1. Without humor or expression of happiness; grave in manner or disposition

   It was a surprise to see the captain, who had always seemed so serious, laugh so heartily.

   Synonyms: earnest, solemn

2. Important; weighty; not insignificant

   This is a serious problem. We'll need our best experts.

3. Really intending what is said (or planned, etc); in earnest; not jocular or deceiving

   After all these years, we're finally getting serious attention.

   He says he wants to buy the team, but is he serious?

4. (of a relationship) Committed.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:serious

Antonyms

• (important, weighty): trifling, unimportant
• (intending what is said): jesting

Derived terms

• srs (abbreviation)
• dead serious
• seriously
• seriousness
• serious-minded
• serious-mindedly
• serious-mindedness

Translations

Adverb

serious (not comparable)

1. (colloquial, dialect) In a serious manner; seriously.

Further reading

• serious in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• serious in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

English

Alternative forms

• thoro (informal)

Etymology

From Middle English thoru?, þoru?, from Old English þuruh, a byform of Old English þurh, whence comes English through. The adjective derives from the preposition and adverb. The word developed a syllabic form in cases where the word was fully stressed: when it was used as an adverb, adjective, or noun, and less commonly when used as a preposition.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?????/, /??????/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /????o?/, /????o?/
• (accents without the hurry–furry merger)
• (accents with the hurry–furry merger)
• Rhymes: -?r?

Adjective

thorough (comparative more thorough, superlative most thorough)

1. Painstaking and careful not to miss or omit any detail.

   The Prime Minister announced a thorough investigation into the death of a father of two in police custody.

   He is the most thorough worker I have ever seen.

   The infested house needs a thorough cleansing before it will be inhabitable.

2. Utter; complete; absolute.
   • 1925-29, Mahadev Desai (translator), M.K. Gandhi, The Story of My Experiments with Truth, Part I, chapter xviii^[1]:

     I was elected to the Executive Committee of the Vegetarian Society, and made it a point to attend every one of its meetings, but I always felt tongue-tied. Dr. Oldfield once said to me, 'You talk to me quite all right, but why is it that you never open your lips at a committee meeting? You are a drone.' I appreciated the banter. The bees are ever busy, the drone is a thorough idler. And it was not a little curious that whilst others expressed their opinions at these meetings, I sat quite silent. Not that I never felt tempted to speak. But I was at a loss to know how to express myself. All the rest of the members appeared to me to be better informed than I. Then it often happened that just when I had mustered up courage to speak, a fresh subject would be started. This went on for a long time.

Synonyms

• (detailed): comprehensive, rigorous, scrupulous; see also Thesaurus:meticulous or Thesaurus:comprehensive
• (utter; complete; absolute): downright, outright, unmitigated; see also Thesaurus:total

Derived terms

• thoroughbred
• thoroughgoing
• thoroughly
• thoroughness

Translations

Preposition

thorough

1. (obsolete) Through. [9th-19th c.]
   • 1599, William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar, V. i. 109:

     You are contented to be led in triumph / Thorough the streets of Rome?

Noun

thorough (plural thoroughs)

1. (Britain, dialect) A furrow between two ridges, to drain off the surface water.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Halliwell to this entry?)