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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.

See Examples For:

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

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 8, 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

While writers Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais admitted creating the first episode was a struggle because prison is no laughing matter.

From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2024

William may have joked in front of the children, but the new regime was no laughing matter.

From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield

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