no laughing matter

ADJECTIVE

serious

Synonyms

STRONGEST

dangerous deep difficult far-reaching grievous important major meaningful severe significant tough urgent

WEAK

arduous fateful fell formidable grave grim hard heavy laborious meaning business menacing momentous no joke of consequence operose out for blood playing hard ball pressing smoking sobering strenuous strictly business threatening ugly unamusing unhumorous worrying

Antonyms

STRONGEST

calm easy facile friendly insignificant little meaningless minor small trivial unimportant worthless

WEAK

flippant funny happy light unserious

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

For many theater lovers, it’s no laughing matter.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026

The image of an officer peering into the empty driver’s seat of the offending vehicle may have been good for a chuckle, but other incidents have been no laughing matter.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

While the male friendship recession is no laughing matter, Andrew DeYoung’s new film “Friendship” explores the phenomenon to reveal all of its anxious, hysterical customs.

From Salon • May 12, 2025

Its warnings, then as now, certainly sound extremely serious—McCarthyism, witch hunts, and gulags are no laughing matter.

From Slate • Jan. 5, 2025

Hagrid being at least twice the size of a normal man, this was no laughing matter.

From "Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban" by J.K. Rowling

no laughing matter

Example Sentences

Related Words