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Prepositions after adjectives

Serious about, in, with, for or of?

Serious is most often followed by about to show commitment or concern. Other prepositions appear in more specific contexts.

Quick answer

Which preposition goes with serious?

Use serious about for commitment or strong interest: serious about work. Serious in is used for behaviour in a situation. Serious with can describe behaviour toward someone. Serious for and serious of are uncommon after serious in modern English.

She is serious about her studies.
He became serious in meetings.
The coach was serious with the players.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
serious about + activity/topic

Showing commitment or concern

Use serious about when someone is committed to something or deeply concerned about it.

They are serious about expanding the business.
Are you serious about learning Japanese?
2
serious in + situation

Describing behaviour in a context

Use serious in to describe someone's manner during a situation or activity.

She is always serious in interviews.
He became serious in class discussions.
3
serious with + person

Describing strict or formal behaviour toward someone

Serious with can describe how someone behaves toward another person.

The teacher was serious with the new students.
Parents should not be too serious with young children.
4
serious for + noun

Limited and uncommon uses

Serious for is uncommon after serious. It may appear when for introduces a separate phrase such as a purpose or audience, not as a fixed combination.

The symptoms are serious for a mild infection.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
serious about
She is serious about her career.
committed to or strongly interested in something
serious in
He was serious in court.
showing a serious manner in a situation
serious with
The manager was serious with the team.
behaving formally or strictly toward someone
serious for
The injury is serious for a teenager.
for introduces a comparison or context, not a standard fixed phrase
serious of
It was serious of him to ignore the warning.
nonstandard in current English; use serious about or a different structure

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using serious of for commitment

Serious of is not the usual modern pattern for commitment or intention.

✕ She is serious of becoming a doctor. ✓ She is serious about becoming a doctor.

Confusing serious in and serious about

Serious about expresses commitment, while serious in describes behaviour in a situation.

✕ He is serious in his studies. ✓ He is serious about his studies.

Using with instead of about

Serious with usually describes behaviour toward people, not interests or goals.

✕ They are serious with the project. ✓ They are serious about the project.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. She is very serious ___ her music career.
2. He stayed serious ___ the interview.
3. The coach was too serious ___ the children.

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Frequently asked questions

Is serious about the most common pattern?

Yes. Serious about is the standard pattern for commitment, intention, or concern.

Can I say serious in something?

Yes, when you mean someone's manner in a situation, such as serious in meetings.

Is serious of correct?

It is generally considered nonstandard in modern English after serious.

sacred-to-in-by-of, for "sad for" or "sad about"? "safe for", "safe from" or "safe in"? sanguine about, in, of, on or for? "satisfactory to" or "satisfactory for"? satisfied with, of, by, in or on? "satisfying for" or "satisfying to"? scarce in, for, at, on or of? scared of, to, about, for or by? "scary for" or "scary to"? "scathing about", "scathing in" or "scathing of"? "sceptical about" or "sceptical of"?

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