mean1
verb
- = signify, say, suggest, indicate, represent, express, stand for, convey, spell out, purport, symbolize, denote, connote, betoken •
The red signal means that you can shoot.
- = imply, suggest, intend, indicate, refer to, intimate, get at (informal), hint at, have in mind, drive at (informal), allude to, insinuate •
What do you think he means by that?
- = presage, promise, herald, foreshadow, augur, foretell, portend, betoken, adumbrate •
An enlarged prostate does not necessarily mean cancer.
- = result in, cause, produce, effect, lead to, involve, bring about, give rise to, entail, engender, necessitate •
Trade and product discounts can mean big savings.
- = intend, want, plan, expect, design, aim, wish, think, propose, purpose, desire, set out, contemplate, aspire, have plans, have in mind •
I didn't mean to hurt you.
- = destine, make, design, suit, fate, predestine, preordain •
He said that we were meant to be together.
- = matter, be significant, have significance, have importance •
It doesn't sound much, but it means a lot to me.
In standard British English, mean should not be followed by for when expressing intention. I didn't mean this to happen is acceptable, but not I didn't mean for this to happen.
mean2
adjective
- = miserly, stingy, parsimonious, niggardly, close (informal), near (informal), tight, selfish, beggarly, mercenary, skimpy, penny-pinching, ungenerous, penurious, tight-fisted, tight-arsed (taboo & slang), mingy (British, informal), tight-assed (US, taboo & slang), hungry (New Zealand, informal), snoep (South Africa, informal), tight as a duck's arse (taboo & slang) •
Don't be mean with the fabric, or the curtains will end up looking skimpy.
opposites: generous, prodigal, altruistic, bountiful, unselfish, munificent - = dishonourable, base, petty, degraded, disgraceful, shameful, shabby, vile, degenerate, callous, sordid, abject, despicable, narrow-minded, contemptible, wretched, scurvy, ignoble, hard-hearted, scungy (Australian & New Zealand), low-minded •
Upstaging the bride was a particularly mean trick.
opposites: good, honourable, praiseworthy - (informal)= malicious, hostile, nasty, sour, unpleasant, rude, unfriendly, bad-tempered, disagreeable, churlish, ill-tempered, cantankerous •
The prison officer described him as the meanest man he'd ever met.
opposites: kind, liberal, gentle, sympathetic, humane, compassionate, warm-hearted - = shabby, poor, miserable, rundown, beggarly, seedy, scruffy, sordid, paltry, squalid, tawdry, low-rent (informal, mainly, US), contemptible, wretched, down-at-heel, grungy (slang, mainly, US), scuzzy (slang, mainly, US) •
He was raised in the mean streets of the central market district.
opposites: pleasing, excellent, attractive, superb, choice, superior, first-rate, de luxe - = excellent, great (informal), outstanding, superb, bad (informal), fine, masterly, wonderful, brilliant (British, informal), smashing (informal), tremendous (informal), ace (informal), magnificent, neat (US, informal), fabulous (informal), first-class, marvellous, exceptional, terrific (informal), formidable, sensational (informal), awesome (informal), skilful, A1 (informal), virtuoso, super (informal), wicked (informal), first-rate, bonzer (Australian, informal), badass (US, informal), booshit (Australian, slang), exo (Australian, slang), sik (Australian, slang), rad (informal), phat (slang), schmick (Australian, informal), beaut (informal), barrie (Scottish, slang), belting (British, slang), pearler (Australian, slang) •
She plays a mean game of tennis.
- = lowly, low, common, ordinary, modest, base, obscure, humble, inferior, vulgar, menial, proletarian, undistinguished, servile, ignoble, plebeian, lowborn, baseborn (archaic) •
southern opportunists of mean origins
opposites: high, important, princely, significant, noble, consequential - = inferior, little, limited, poor, restricted, slender, meagre, sparse, deficient •
a woman of mean understanding
'mean' in Other Languages
- British English: mean
Someone who is mean is not nice to other people.He was sorry for being mean to her.miːn ADJECTIVE - Arabic: حَقِيرٌ
- Brazilian Portuguese: mesquinho mesquinha
- Chinese: 吝啬的
- Croatian: zločest
- Czech: zlý
- Danish: ond
- Dutch: gemeen
- European Spanish: mezquino mezquinavil
- Finnish: ilkeä
- French: méchant
- German: geizig
- Greek: μοχθηρός μοχθηρή
- Italian: meschino meschina
- Japanese: けちな
- Korean: 인색한
- Norwegian: gjerrig
- Polish: skąpy skąpa
- Portuguese: mesquinho mesquinha
- Romanian: rău rău, rea, răi, rele
- Russian: убогий убогая
- Spanish: malo malade espíritu
- Swedish: elak elakt
- Thai: ใจร้าย
- Turkish: eli sıkı
- Ukrainian: злий
- Vietnamese: bần tiện
- British English: mean If you ask what something means, you want to understand it.What does this word mean?miːn VERBsignify
- Arabic: يَعْنِي
- Brazilian Portuguese: significar
- Chinese: 意谓
- Croatian: značiti
- Czech: znamenat
- Danish: betyde
- Dutch: betekenen
- European Spanish: significar
- Finnish: tarkoittaa
- French: signifier
- German: meinen
- Greek: εννοώ
- Italian: significare
- Japanese: 意味する
- Korean: 뜻하다
- Norwegian: bety
- Polish: oznaczyć znaczyć
- Portuguese: significar
- Romanian: a însemna
- Russian: означать
- Spanish: significar
- Swedish: mena
- Thai: หมายความว่า
- Turkish: kastetmek
- Ukrainian: означати значити
- Vietnamese: muốn nói
- British English: meanmiːn If you mean what you are saying, it is not a joke.He says he loves her, and I think he means it. VERBbe serious about
- Arabic: لا يـَمْزَحُ
- Brazilian Portuguese: falar sério
- Chinese: 对…认真
- Croatian: misliti
- Czech: myslet vážně
- Danish: mene
- Dutch: menen
- European Spanish: querer decir
- Finnish: tarkoittaa
- French: ne pas plaisanter
- German: meinen
- Greek: εννοώ
- Italian: fare sul serio
- Japanese: 本気で言う
- Korean: ~을 뜻하다
- Norwegian: mene
- Polish: oznaczać
- Portuguese: querer dizer
- Romanian: a însemna
- Russian: иметь ввиду
- Spanish: querer decir
- Swedish: mena
- Thai: มีเจตนา
- Turkish: gerçeği söylemek
- Ukrainian: мати на увазі
- Vietnamese: có nghĩa
- British English: meanmiːn If you mean to do something, it is not an accident.I didn't mean to drop the cup. VERBintend
- Arabic: يَقْصِدُ
- Brazilian Portuguese: querer
- Chinese: 打算
- Croatian: namjeravati
- Czech: zamýšlet
- Danish: med vilje
- Dutch: bedoelen
- European Spanish: querer
- Finnish: aikoa
- French: avoir la ferme intention de
- German: wollen
- Greek: θέλω
- Italian: avere l'intenzione di
- Japanese: わざと･･･する
- Korean: ~을 의도하다
- Norwegian: mene
- Polish: robić coś celowo
- Portuguese: tencionar
- Romanian: a intenționa
- Russian: хотеть
- Spanish: quererintención
- Swedish: mena
- Thai: ตั้งใจ
- Turkish: yapmak istemek
- Ukrainian: робити навмисне
- Vietnamese: cố ý
- British English: mean If someone is being mean, they are being unkind to another person, for example by not allowing them to do something. ADJECTIVEThe little girls had locked themselves in upstairs because he had been mean to them.
- Brazilian Portuguese: mesquinho
- Chinese: 不友好的
- European Spanish: malo mala
- French: méchant méchante
- German: gemein
- Italian: cattivo cattiva
- Japanese: 意地悪な
- Korean: 비열한
- Portuguese: mesquinho mesquinha
- Spanish: malo mala
- British English: mean The mean is a number that is the average of a set of numbers. NOUNTake a hundred and twenty values and calculate the mean.
- Brazilian Portuguese: meio termo
- Chinese: 平均数平均数數
- European Spanish: media
- French: moyenne
- German: Durchschnitt
- Italian: media
- Japanese: 平均
- Korean: 중간값
- Portuguese: meio-termo
- Spanish: media
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