He wasn't incapable of seriousness, though.
He said his friend's performances gave no hint of the seriousness of his condition.
Barack Obama gave a hint of the seriousness of the situation, saying in a statement that he and his wife, Michelle, were praying for Holbrooke's recovery.
There's a hint of old-fashioned gravity and seriousness of purpose to "Mummenschanz".
Neiman's particular skill lies in expressing sensitivity, intelligence and moral seriousness without any hint of oversimplification, dogmatism or misplaced piety.
Seriousness, even a hint of contrition, would have served both him and the moment better.The Tory leader had managed to get under the prime minister's skin by contrasting Mr Blair's own confidence about Iraq's WMD in the foreword to the September 2002 dossier with the supposedly more cautious assessment of the Joint Intelligence Committee JICC).
In one song the group hints at seriousness: "Blind Man," a mock-pompous stab at moody old-age rumination, a difficult piece of spadework from a band that could nail itself to the cheap laugh.
Adrien has a boyish, almost birdish bearing, and a shy, inward seriousness that gives no hint of his relentless force on a bicycle.
It breaks the tone of seriousness.
There were also flashes of seriousness.
