seriously
UK /ˈsɪə.ɹi.əs.li/ · US /ˈsɪɹ.i.əs.li/ adverb
- adverb (manner) In a serious or literal manner. “He was hoping that we would take him seriously.”
- adverb Gravely; deeply; very much. “That was a seriously unpleasant thing to say.”
- adverb Used to attempt to introduce a serious point in a less serious conversation. “Now, seriously, why did you forget to feed the cat today?”
- adverb Used to call back to a previous point, in disbelief or for emphasis. “You baked ten (10) cakes. Seriously, why did you do that?”
- adverb (informal) In an extreme or major way; majorly. “Unless you're seriously strapped (armed), you're about to be not okay too.”
Synonyms
no really no kidding real talk earnestly in earnest badly severely gravely
Etymology
From Middle English seriously, sereously, ceryously, seryowslech (“earnestly”), equivalent to serious + -ly.
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 — from the Wiktionary entry “seriously”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details