List of 426 Sets of Synonyms - How they Differ - Total of 2307 Words - 349

SYNONYMS: serious, sober, grave, solemn, earnest, sedate, staid.
These adjectives are compared as they refer to the manner, appearance, disposition, or acts of persons and mean absorbed or marked by absorption in thought, pressing concerns, or significant work.

Serious implies a concern with responsibility and work as opposed to play: Serious students of music must familiarize themselves with the literature and idiom of all the important composers.
Sober emphasizes circumspection and self-restraint: He was a sober thoughtful man.
Grave suggests the dignity and somberness associated with weighty matters: The soldier of today is a quiet, grave man.
Solemn often adds to grave the suggestion of impressiveness: The judge's tone was solemn as he pronounced sentence on the murderer.
Earnest implies sincerity and intensity of purpose: Both sides in the dispute showed an earnest desire to reach an equitable solution.
Sedate implies a composed, dignified manner: She had one of those calm, quiet, sedate natures.
Staid emphasizes dignity and an often strait-laced observance of propriety: He was a grave and staid God-fearing man.