mean

1 of 4

verb

ˈmēn

meant ˈment How to pronounce mean (audio)

; meaning ˈmē-niŋ How to pronounce mean (audio)

transitive verb

: to have in the mind as a purpose : intend

she means to win

—sometimes used interjectionally with I, chiefly in informal speech for emphasis

he throws, I mean, hard

or to introduce a phrase restating the point of a preceding phrase

we try to answer what we can, but I mean we're not God—

Bobbie Ann Mason

: to design for or destine to a specified purpose or future

I was meant to teach

: to serve or intend to convey, show, or indicate : signify

a red sky means rain

: to have importance to the degree of

health means everything

: to direct to a particular individual

His criticism was meant for all of us.

intransitive verb

: to have an intended purpose

he means well

meaner

ˈmē-nər

noun

mean

2 of 4

adjective (1)

ˈmēn

: lacking distinction or eminence : humble

: lacking in mental discrimination : dull

: of poor, shabby, or inferior quality or status

mean city streets

: worthy of little regard : contemptible

—often used in negative constructions as a term of praise

no mean feat

: lacking dignity or honor : base

a mean motive

: penurious, stingy

He's very mean with his money.

: characterized by petty selfishness or malice

a mean surly man

: causing trouble or bother : vexatious

a mean soil to work

: excellent, effective

plays a mean trumpet

a lean, mean athlete

: ashamed sense 1b

His ready cooperation made me feel mean for what I had said.

meanness

ˈmēn-nəs

noun

mean

3 of 4

adjective (2)

ˈmēn

: occupying a middle position : intermediate in space, order, time, kind, or degree

: occupying a position about midway between extremes

especially : being the mean of a set of values : average

the mean temperature

: serving as a means : intermediary

mean

4 of 4

noun

ˈmēn

a(1)

: something intervening or intermediate

(2)

: a middle point between extremes

: a value that lies within a range of values and is computed according to a prescribed law: such as

(1)

: arithmetic mean

(2)

: expected value

: either of the middle two terms of a proportion

means plural in form but singular or plural in construction : something useful or helpful to a desired end

means plural : resources available for disposal

especially : material resources affording a secure life

Example Sentences

Verb The season of backyard barbecues and lakeside cookouts is at hand, which in most parts of the country means an orgy of grilled steaks, hamburgers and hot dogs lasting until Labor Day and beyond. —

R. W. Apple, Jr., New York Times, 5 June 2002 Even the water in the cave was free from surface contamination … which meant that all the water now in Lechugilla percolated into the cave before the widespread nuclear bomb testing of the 1940s … —

Jon Krakauer, Air & Space, October/November 1995 Home meant my father, with kind eyes, songs, and tense recitations for my brother and myself. —

Gwendolyn Brooks, Booklist, 15 Oct. 1993 The word meant one thing in Shakespeare's day, but it means something else now. Red means “stop” and green means “go.” Can you tell me what my dream means? What was meant by the poet? Don't distort what she meant by taking her words out of context. He's very ambitious, and I mean that as a compliment. It's a very easy question. Anyone, and I mean anyone, should be able to answer it. She's not getting any thinner, if you know what I mean. She says she didn't mean anything by what she did. I don't trust him. He means no good. Adjective (1) For thirty years he had been a ruthless litigator, the meanest, nastiest, and without a doubt one of the most effective courtroom brawlers in Chicago. —

John Grisham, The Chamber, 1995 … the streets of Spanish Harlem are meaner than when he left them, and they're pulling him back in. —

Peter Travers, Rolling Stone, 9 Dec. 1993 … what you discover is the one with the tail was old mean landlord Mr. prosperous Prospero who wielded without thought of God or man the merry old cat-o'-nine-tails … —

Darryl Pinckney, Times Literary Supplement, 23 Aug. 1991 Creighton Abrams was a tanker, according to George Patton the meanest tanker the Germans had faced in the whole U.S. Third Army, and he had a temper that matched the fearsome machines he loved. —

Neil Sheehan, A Bright Shining Lie, 1988 Noun Take all these temperatures and calculate their mean. trying to find a golden mean between doing too little and doing too much See More

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

What the numbers mean Blood pressure is reported with two numbers. —

Fortune Well, 21 Feb. 2023 Felines and their owners flocked to the Arkansas State Fairgrounds Hall of Industry on Saturday, which could mean only one thing -- the annual all-breed cat show, was back in town. —

Grant Lancaster, Arkansas Online, 20 Feb. 2023 Love: That of course does not mean that every relationship is a happy one. —

Shayla Love, Scientific American, 20 Feb. 2023 While most guys default to the same stodgy penguin suit for big occasions, some are realizing that dressy needn’t mean dull. —

Todd Plummer, WSJ, 17 Feb. 2023 But that doesn't necessarily mean that people are going to want to work more than a certain number of hours. —

Li Goldstein, Bon Appétit, 17 Feb. 2023 Look for metal frames which often mean a heavier, more stable construction. —

Men's Health, 16 Feb. 2023 The Heat currently are the No. 7 seed in the Eastern conference playoff race, which would mean having to play in the play-in tournament in order to advance to the best-of-seven opening round of the playoffs. —

Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 16 Feb. 2023 Tiny living can mean different things to different people. —

Kimberley Mok, Treehugger, 16 Feb. 2023 See More

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English menen, from Old English mǣnan; akin to Old High German meinen to have in mind, Old Church Slavonic měniti to mention

Adjective (1)

Middle English mene, from imene common, shared, from Old English gemǣne; akin to Old High German gimeini common, Latin communis common, munus service, gift, Sanskrit mayate he exchanges

Adjective (2) and Noun

Middle English mene, from Anglo-French mene, meiene, from Latin medianus — more at median

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Adjective (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Kids Definition

mean

1 of 4 adjective

ˈmēn

: lacking distinction or prominence : humble

: of poor, shabby, or inferior quality or status

lives in mean surroundings

: worthy of little regard : inferior

—often used in negative constructions as a term of praise

a person of no mean ability

: deliberately unkind

: stingy sense 1, miserly

: spiteful, malicious

a mean remark

: causing trouble or bother

a mean horse

: excellent

plays a mean trumpet

meanly adverb

meanness

ˈmēn-nəs

noun

mean

2 of 4 verb

ˈmēn

meant

ˈment

; meaning

ˈmē-niŋ

: to have as a purpose : intend

I mean to go

: to intend for a particular purpose or use

a book meant for children

: to serve to communicate, show, or indicate : signify

what do these words mean

those clouds mean rain

: to be important to a specified degree

health means everything to us

mean

3 of 4 adjective

: holding a middle position : intermediate

: lying about midway between extremes

: being the mean of a set of values : average

mean temperature

mean

4 of 4 noun

: a middle point between extremes

: a value that represents a range of values

especially : arithmetic mean

: either of the middle two terms of a proportion

plural : something by which a desired result is achieved or furthered

means of production

use any means you can

plural : wealth sense 1

a person of means

单词	by means of
释义	mean 1 of 4 verb ˈmēn meant ˈment ; meaning ˈmē-niŋ transitive verb 1 a : to have in the mind as a purpose : intend she means to win —sometimes used interjectionally with I, chiefly in informal speech for emphasis he throws, I mean, hard or to introduce a phrase restating the point of a preceding phrase we try to answer what we can, but I mean we're not God—Bobbie Ann Mason b : to design for or destine to a specified purpose or future I was meant to teach 2 : to serve or intend to convey, show, or indicate : signify a red sky means rain 3 : to have importance to the degree of health means everything 4 : to direct to a particular individual His criticism was meant for all of us. intransitive verb : to have an intended purpose he means well meaner ˈmē-nər noun mean 2 of 4 adjective (1) ˈmēn 1 : lacking distinction or eminence : humble 2 : lacking in mental discrimination : dull 3 a : of poor, shabby, or inferior quality or status mean city streets b : worthy of little regard : contemptible —often used in negative constructions as a term of praise no mean feat 4 : lacking dignity or honor : base a mean motive 5 a : penurious, stingy He's very mean with his money. b : characterized by petty selfishness or malice a mean surly man c : causing trouble or bother : vexatious a mean soil to work d : excellent, effective plays a mean trumpet a lean, mean athlete 6 : ashamed sense 1b His ready cooperation made me feel mean for what I had said. meanness ˈmēn-nəs noun mean 3 of 4 adjective (2) ˈmēn 1 : occupying a middle position : intermediate in space, order, time, kind, or degree 2 : occupying a position about midway between extremes especially : being the mean of a set of values : average the mean temperature 3 : serving as a means : intermediary mean 4 of 4 noun ˈmēn 1 a(1) : something intervening or intermediate (2) : a middle point between extremes b : a value that lies within a range of values and is computed according to a prescribed law: such as (1) : arithmetic mean (2) : expected value c : either of the middle two terms of a proportion 2 means plural in form but singular or plural in construction : something useful or helpful to a desired end 3 means plural : resources available for disposal especially : material resources affording a secure life Phrases mean business : to be in earnest by all means : most assuredly : certainly by means of : through the use of by no means : in no way : not at all Synonyms Verb denote express import intend signify spell Adjective (1) baseborn common humble ignoble inferior low low-life lowborn lower-class lowly lumpen plebeian prole proletarian unwashed vulgar Adjective (2) average intermediate median medium middle middling midsize midsized moderate modest Noun golden mean medium middle middle ground midpoint See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Verb The season of backyard barbecues and lakeside cookouts is at hand, which in most parts of the country means an orgy of grilled steaks, hamburgers and hot dogs lasting until Labor Day and beyond. —R. W. Apple, Jr., New York Times, 5 June 2002 Even the water in the cave was free from surface contamination … which meant that all the water now in Lechugilla percolated into the cave before the widespread nuclear bomb testing of the 1940s … —Jon Krakauer, Air & Space, October/November 1995 Home meant my father, with kind eyes, songs, and tense recitations for my brother and myself. —Gwendolyn Brooks, Booklist, 15 Oct. 1993 The word meant one thing in Shakespeare's day, but it means something else now. Red means “stop” and green means “go.” Can you tell me what my dream means? What was meant by the poet? Don't distort what she meant by taking her words out of context. He's very ambitious, and I mean that as a compliment. It's a very easy question. Anyone, and I mean anyone, should be able to answer it. She's not getting any thinner, if you know what I mean. She says she didn't mean anything by what she did. I don't trust him. He means no good. Adjective (1) For thirty years he had been a ruthless litigator, the meanest, nastiest, and without a doubt one of the most effective courtroom brawlers in Chicago. —John Grisham, The Chamber, 1995 … the streets of Spanish Harlem are meaner than when he left them, and they're pulling him back in. —Peter Travers, Rolling Stone, 9 Dec. 1993 … what you discover is the one with the tail was old mean landlord Mr. prosperous Prospero who wielded without thought of God or man the merry old cat-o'-nine-tails … —Darryl Pinckney, Times Literary Supplement, 23 Aug. 1991 Creighton Abrams was a tanker, according to George Patton the meanest tanker the Germans had faced in the whole U.S. Third Army, and he had a temper that matched the fearsome machines he loved. —Neil Sheehan, A Bright Shining Lie, 1988 Noun Take all these temperatures and calculate their mean. trying to find a golden mean between doing too little and doing too much See More Recent Examples on the Web Verb What the numbers mean Blood pressure is reported with two numbers. —Fortune Well, 21 Feb. 2023 Felines and their owners flocked to the Arkansas State Fairgrounds Hall of Industry on Saturday, which could mean only one thing -- the annual all-breed cat show, was back in town. —Grant Lancaster, Arkansas Online, 20 Feb. 2023 Love: That of course does not mean that every relationship is a happy one. —Shayla Love, Scientific American, 20 Feb. 2023 While most guys default to the same stodgy penguin suit for big occasions, some are realizing that dressy needn’t mean dull. —Todd Plummer, WSJ, 17 Feb. 2023 But that doesn't necessarily mean that people are going to want to work more than a certain number of hours. —Li Goldstein, Bon Appétit, 17 Feb. 2023 Look for metal frames which often mean a heavier, more stable construction. —Men's Health, 16 Feb. 2023 The Heat currently are the No. 7 seed in the Eastern conference playoff race, which would mean having to play in the play-in tournament in order to advance to the best-of-seven opening round of the playoffs. —Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 16 Feb. 2023 Tiny living can mean different things to different people. —Kimberley Mok, Treehugger, 16 Feb. 2023 See More Word History Etymology Verb Middle English menen, from Old English mǣnan; akin to Old High German meinen to have in mind, Old Church Slavonic měniti to mention Adjective (1) Middle English mene, from imene common, shared, from Old English gemǣne; akin to Old High German gimeini common, Latin communis common, munus service, gift, Sanskrit mayate he exchanges Adjective (2) and Noun Middle English mene, from Anglo-French mene, meiene, from Latin medianus — more at median First Known Use Verb before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a Adjective (1) 14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1 Adjective (2) 14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1 Noun 14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1) Phrases Containing mean arithmetic mean I know what you mean lean and mean harmonic mean mean free path mean a thing geometric mean mean nothing to (someone) mean something to (someone) mean proportional mean solar day no mean mean value theorem mean well mean the (whole) world mean streak not mean a damn you know what I mean no mean feat what's that supposed to mean golden mean dirty/mean/rotten trick mean square deviation mean distance mean deviation mean-spirited mean sun mean square mean the world to (someone) mean time mean no offense I mean root-mean-square be/mean/spell curtains for if you know what I mean mean business See More arithmetic mean I know what you mean lean and mean harmonic mean mean free path mean a thing geometric mean mean nothing to (someone) mean something to (someone) mean proportional mean solar day no mean mean value theorem mean well mean the (whole) world mean streak not mean a damn you know what I mean no mean feat what's that supposed to mean golden mean dirty/mean/rotten trick mean square deviation mean distance mean deviation mean-spirited mean sun mean square mean the world to (someone) mean time mean no offense I mean root-mean-square be/mean/spell curtains for if you know what I mean mean business See More Kids Definition mean 1 of 4 adjective ˈmēn 1 : lacking distinction or prominence : humble 2 : of poor, shabby, or inferior quality or status lives in mean surroundings 3 : worthy of little regard : inferior —often used in negative constructions as a term of praise a person of no mean ability 4 : deliberately unkind 5 : stingy sense 1, miserly 6 : spiteful, malicious a mean remark 7 : causing trouble or bother a mean horse 8 : excellent plays a mean trumpet meanly adverb meanness ˈmēn-nəs noun mean 2 of 4 verb ˈmēn meant ˈment ; meaning ˈmē-niŋ 1 a : to have as a purpose : intend I mean to go b : to intend for a particular purpose or use a book meant for children 2 : to serve to communicate, show, or indicate : signify what do these words mean those clouds mean rain 3 : to be important to a specified degree health means everything to us mean 3 of 4 adjective 1 : holding a middle position : intermediate 2 a : lying about midway between extremes b : being the mean of a set of values : average mean temperature mean 4 of 4 noun 1 : a middle point between extremes 2 a : a value that represents a range of values especially : arithmetic mean b : either of the middle two terms of a proportion 3 plural : something by which a desired result is achieved or furthered means of production use any means you can 4 plural : wealth sense 1 a person of means by means of phrase as in by using the means or agency of He finally raised his math grade by means of tutoring and extra credit work. Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance by through via with by virtue of in virtue of in per by dint of
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mean

verb

adjective (1)

adjective (2)

noun

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

Phrases Containing mean

Kids Definition

phrase