meanness

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Variant of mean

mean definition

mean (mēn)

transitive verb meant (ment), meaning mean′·ing

  1. to have in mind; intend; purpose he means to go
    1. to intend or design for a certain person or purpose a gift meant for you
    2. to destine or seem to destine he was meant to be a doctor
  3. to intend to express, signify, or indicate to say what one means
    1. to be used to convey; denote the German word “ja” means “yes”
    2. to be a sign, indication, or herald of; signify this means war!

Etymology: ME menen < OE mænan, to mean, tell, complain, akin to Ger meinen, to have in mind, have as opinion < IE base *meino-, opinion, intent > OIr mian, wish, desire

intransitive verb

  1. to have a purpose or intention in mind: chiefly in mean well, to have good intentions
  2. to have a (specified) degree of importance, effect, or influence honors mean little to him
mean Idioms

mean well by

to have good intentions or friendly, helpful feelings toward

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

meanness Synonyms

meanness

n.

  1. The quality of being mean

    smallmindedness, baseness, lowness, pettiness, wickedness, debasement, degradation, abjection, shamelessness, infamy, degeneracy, blackguardism, knavishness, unscrupulousness, stinginess, closeness, niggardliness, frugality, churlishness, corruptness, cupidity, sordidness, contemptibleness, disrepute, rapacity, malice, iniquity, malignity, unworthiness, ill-temper, unkindness, covetousness, avarice, miserliness, parsimony; see also greed.

    Antonyms generosity*, nobility*, worthiness.

  2. A mean action

    belittling, defaming, groveling, cheating, sneaking, quarreling, scolding, taking advantage of, deceiving, coveting, grudging, grasping, dishonoring, defrauding, perjuring, shaming, degrading, beggaring, stealing.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

meanness quotes

   A land of meanness, sophistry and mist.

-Rochdale

The vice of meanness, condemned in every other country, is in Scotland translated into a virtue called 'thrift'.

-Thomson, David

meanness quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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"meanness." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/meanness>

APA Style

meanness. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/meanness

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