different between serious vs uppermost

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

Etymology

upper +? -most

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /??p?m??st/
• (US) IPA^(key): /??p??mo?st/

Adjective

uppermost (not comparable)

1. At or nearest the top of something.
   • 2005, United States. Congress. House. Committee on Ways and Means, Tax reform: hearing before the Committee on Ways and Means, U.S. House of Representatives, One Hundred Ninth Congress, first session, June 8, 2005, Volume 36, Issues 109-123

     Well, to me, if you are restricting it to economic policy — because I can surely think of some noneconomic policy concerns that are more uppermost in my mind.

   • 2015, Lawrence A. Pervin, Goal Concepts in Personality and Social Psychology

     As a result, it is not always an easy matter to evaluate, as an outsider, the effectiveness of a life-task strategy (i.e., sometimes the objective indicators of success and failure do not coincide with the goals most uppermost in a person's mind).

Synonyms

• upmost

Antonyms

• nethermost

Translations

Adjective

uppermost

1. (rare) superlative form of upper: most upper

Adverb

uppermost (not comparable)

1. In the highest position.