serious hours

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "serious hours" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to refer to a significant amount of time spent on a task or activity, often implying a level of dedication or intensity. Example: "After putting in serious hours on the project, the team finally met the deadline."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

10 human-written examples

If you want to put in some serious hours, you can get the entire Sherlock Holmes collection.

The Guardian

Be committed to improving your craft, put in the serious hours, seek help (mentors/workshops) if you need it, and don't ever, ever give up.

The Guardian - Books

Hank and I put some serious hours into this and I've read some of the articles over the past year where he has been getting ripped and I'm getting ripped for all the changes I've been making.

The Guardian - Sport

Over three serious hours it deals with the black American experience and in Hollywood, although it is impolite to say so, serious black films do not make money.Predictably, some critics have been left slightly cold by what Ms Winfrey has called her "Schindler's List"—"more admirable than involving", wrote one.

The Economist

Back in London, Radcliffe has been putting in serious hours with dance and singing coaches in preparation for his other post-Potter project: the lead in a new Broadway production of the 1961 musical How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.

The Guardian - Film

Those who put in "some serious hours" also received a free penny tattoo and membership in "a pretty elite group".

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

47 human-written examples

Photograph: Joe Castro/AAPImage Updated at 1.46pm AEST Facebook Twitter Google plus Share Share this post Facebook Twitter Google plus close 12.41pm AEST03 41 After a quite serious 24 hours of deciding our nation's future, we may have forgotten about the lighter/infuriating moments of the campaign, so let's take a look at how the most gaffe-prone candidates fared.

The Guardian

The minority that wants a serious news hour or more can gravitate to PBS or NPR.

The New York Times - Magazine

The incident, in Parry Street in Vauxhall, south London, caused serious rush-hour travel disruption, with some roads closed and some buses diverted.

The Guardian

The Commons vote came at the end of a serious five-hour debate in which the shadow business secretary, John Denham, warned: "If this Tory measure goes through with the support or abstention of Liberal Democrats, that party will forfeit the right to call itself a progressive political party".

The Guardian

Uncle Sam, who wants our minds and spirits to soar along with our bodies, thinks we need more than what is offered on the 7 or 9 channels at present, and what he seems to be after is some highbrow and middlebrow talk about Serious Matters one-hour prograMatters one-hour-minute segments) to "suit the listening environment of the airline cabin".

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When you want to emphasize a large time commitment, use "serious hours" to convey dedication and intensity.

Common error

Avoid using "serious hours" when simply referring to time. Ensure the context implies dedication, effort or intensity. Use alternatives like "extended time" when intensity is not a factor.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "serious hours" functions as a noun phrase, where "serious" acts as an adjective modifying "hours". The phrase typically describes a significant amount of time devoted to a particular task or activity, implying dedication and focused effort. This is consistent with Ludwig AI's analysis.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

58%

Science

20%

Wiki

6%

Less common in

Formal & Business

6%

Reference

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "serious hours" is a grammatically sound and usable term, meaning a large amount of time dedicated to an activity with focus and intensity. Ludwig AI confirms its correct usage. It's most frequently found in News & Media and Science, indicating a neutral register. While not as common as simpler phrases like "extended time", it carries the specific connotation of focused dedication. When using "serious hours", ensure that this sense of dedication is relevant to the context. If you need an alternative, consider "considerable time" or "dedicated time" depending on the nuance you want to convey.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

dedicated time

Emphasizes commitment and focus during the time spent.

significant time

Focuses on the amount of time dedicated, without necessarily implying intensity of effort.

substantial time

Highlights the quantity of time, implying it's a large amount.

considerable time

Similar to "significant time", but can also suggest importance.

extended time

Emphasizes the duration of the time spent.

lengthy period

Highlights the duration of the time investment

intensive period

Shifts focus to the intensity rather than just the duration.

intensive schedule

Implies a structured and demanding time commitment.

prolonged duration

Focuses on the continuous nature and length of the time.

significant effort

Focuses more on the effort involved rather than time itself

FAQs

How can I use "serious hours" in a sentence?

You can use "serious hours" to describe putting in a lot of dedicated time into something, such as, "The team put in "serious hours" to meet the deadline."

What's a good substitute for "serious hours"?

Depending on the context, consider alternatives like "considerable time", "dedicated time", or "intensive period".

Is it always appropriate to use "serious hours" to describe a time investment?

No, "serious hours" implies more than just a duration. If the time investment does not involve dedication or intensity, alternatives such as "extended time" might be more fitting.

What is the difference between "serious hours" and "extensive hours"?

"Serious hours" emphasizes dedication and intensity, while "extensive hours" focuses primarily on the length of time. The first suggests effort, the second suggests duration.