GRAVITAS Synonyms: 48 Similar and Opposite Words

gravitas

noun

Definition of gravitas

as in gravity

formal a very serious quality or manner The new leader has an air of gravitas that commands respect. a comic actress who lacks the gravitas for dramatic roles

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of gravitas Henriksen plays his part to the hilt here, bringing a gravitas that few actors would consider bringing to the role of a shoot-'em-up movie villain. — Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 11 Jan. 2023 Singer-songwriter-keyboardist McVie took an important role in its multi-platinum efforts, with her warmth and gravitas balancing the contributions of her younger new bandmates. — Chris Morris, Variety, 30 Nov. 2022 Tell me about filming that scene and bringing the proper gravitas to a moment like that. — Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 22 Nov. 2022 The 66-year-old Showalter brought a sense of stability and gravitas to a franchise that had been saddled with on- and off-the-field issues over the past several seasons. — David Brandt, BostonGlobe.com, 15 Nov. 2022 See All Example Sentences for gravitas

Recent Examples of Synonyms for gravitas

Noun

Temporary satellites, or mini-moons, are small asteroids that wander into Earth’s neighborhood and get captured briefly by our planet’s gravity.

— Andrew Jones, Space.com, 26 Oct. 2026
Its forward motion carries it around Earth while gravity pulls it toward the planet.

— Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of gravity

Noun

But the earnestness of their performances, the texture of their hesitation, makes the video far more compelling than any of its deepfake counterparts.

— Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
Still, there’s something to the earnestness with which the movie does finally have its daddy issues and its cetacean ones intersect.

— Alison Willmore, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of earnestness

Noun

But this particular reality show tries to justify its controversial existence by proclaiming its seriousness with regards to psychology, philosophy, and current events.

— Judy Berman, Time, 21 Oct. 2026
There’s a level of seriousness that belies the 90-minute comedy film he’s made, which features an imbecilic white rapper who speaks in Caribbean-British slang and a contraption that shoots bullets out of one’s rear end.

— Lacey Rose, HollywoodReporter, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of seriousness

Noun

Sandy’s medical expenses were submitted to Kaiser for possible reimbursement; a determination remains pending.

— Lance B. Fulford, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2026
The federal government will then issue its final determinations, and what happens next will be unexplored legal territory.

— Rosanna Xia, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of determination

Noun

By May 2026, all 11 of xAI’s original cofounders had departed the company, a cascade that began in earnest in February when Tony Wu, described as one of the most operationally central cofounders, announced his resignation.

— Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 24 June 2026
Modern viticulture began in earnest here in the 1970s before blossoming in the ’90s.

— Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 22 June 2026

Definition of earnest

Noun

Juxtaposing the solemnity of Victorian mourning with his characteristically surreal theatricality, Browne transformed the runway into a narrative about fashion’s power to bring its devotees back to life.

— Livia Caligor, Vogue, 27 Oct. 2026
Adding to the solemnity of the occasion was a string quartet that played two slow movements from Alban Berg’s Lyric Suite.

— Peter E. Gordon, The New York Review of Books, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of solemnity

Browse Nearby Words

graving

gravitas

gravitate

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Style

“Gravitas.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gravitas. Accessed 30 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of gravitas

noun

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