getting serious
No more jokes
Getting serious describes a shift from casual to committed or intense.
In relationships, it marks the transition from dating to deeper involvement: We've been seeing each other for six months—it's getting serious.
More broadly, it signals escalation in effort or stakes: The negotiations are getting serious, Time to stop joking around and get serious about this project.
- buckle downApply oneself determinedly
- commitmentFirm pledge to act
- intenseExtreme in degree
- focusedDirecting attention narrowly
- determinedFirmly committed to purpose
stern · no-nonsense · crunch time · knuckling down · down to business · deadlines · discipline · shape up · solemn · grave · exclusive · all in · settle down · crackdown · straighten up · mature · grown-up · proposal
- dating slangghosting, breadcrumbing, talking, situationship, cuffing
- romancelove story, amor, love, boyfriend, courting
getting seriousplaying the field
Dating without commitment
fooling around · backing off · pulling away · keeping options open · cooling off
getting seriouslightening up
Becoming less grave
joking around · goofing off · clowning around · fooling around · horsing around
getting seriouswinding down
Gradually decreasing toward conclusion
cooling off · tapering off · fizzling out · losing steam · de-escalating