An unusual movement was going forward which a serious state of affairs could alone account for.

By the 1980s the church was in a serious state of disrepair.

She was also found in a very serious state of decay.

You must do this work in a disciplined, serious state.

I do feel that music is in a very serious state just now, though extraordinarily interesting.

Alive would be better than dead, but I wouldn't mind putting him in a serious state of bad health.

The port was in a serious state of decline by 1450.

It is, then, a very serious state of affairs we are talking about.

We saw the demonstration here today and know that agriculture throughout Europe is in a serious state.

By 1971, the building was in a serious state of disrepair.