Mean Definition

mēn
meanest, meaning, means, meant, meaner
verb
meaning, means, meant
To be used to convey; denote.
The German word “ja” means “yes”
Webster's New World
To have in mind; intend; purpose.
He means to go.
Webster's New World
To intend to express, signify, or indicate.
To say what one means.
Webster's New World
To intend or design for a certain person or purpose.
A gift meant for you.
Webster's New World
To be a sign, indication, or herald of; signify.
This means war!
Webster's New World
Synonyms:
adjective
meanest, meaner
Low in quality, value, or importance; paltry; poor; inferior.
Paid no mean sum.
Webster's New World
Lacking in kindness; unkind.
The teacher was not being mean in asking you to be quiet.
American Heritage
Expressing spite or malice.
Gave me a mean look.
American Heritage
Tending toward or characterized by cruelty or violence.
Mean streets.
American Heritage
Pettily or contemptibly selfish, bad-tempered, disagreeable, malicious, etc.
Webster's New World
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
noun
means
What is between extremes; intermediate state, quality, course, or procedure.
Webster's New World
A number that typifies a set of numbers, such as a geometric mean or an arithmetic mean.
American Heritage
Avoidance of extremes or excess; moderation.
Webster's New World

A number between the smallest and largest values of a set of quantities, obtained by some prescribed method: unless otherwise qualified, the arithmetic mean.

Webster's New World
The number obtained by multiplying each value of x by the probability (or probability density) of x and then summing (or integrating) over the range of x.
Webster's New World
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
idiom
mean business
  • To be in earnest.
American Heritage
by all means
  • Without fail; certainly.
American Heritage
by any means
  • In any way possible; to any extent:

    not by any means an easy opponent.

American Heritage
by means of
  • With the use of; owing to:

    They succeeded by means of patience and sacrifice.

American Heritage
by no means
  • In no sense; certainly not:

    This remark by no means should be taken lightly.

American Heritage

Other Word Forms of Mean

Noun

Singular:
mean
Plural:
means

Adjective

Base Form:
mean
Comparative:
meaner
Superlative:
meanest

Idioms, Phrasal Verbs Related to Mean

Origin of Mean

  • Middle English mene middle from Old French meien from Latin mediānus from medius medhyo- in Indo-European roots

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • Middle English menen from Old English mǣnan to tell of mei-no- in Indo-European roots

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • Middle English from Old English gemǣne common mei-1 in Indo-European roots

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

Mean Sentence Examples

  • I didn't mean to scare you.

  • What do you mean by that?

  • I mean, one you have a chance of winning.

  • I mean, that they didn't feel this way all the time.

  • I don't mean to insult them.

More Sentences

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Words Starting With

MMEMEA

Words Ending With

NANEAN

Unscrambles

mean

Words Starting With M and Ending With N

Starts With M & Ends With NStarts With ME & Ends With NStarts With M & Ends With AN

Word Length

4 Letter Words4 Letter Words Starting With M4 Letter Words Ending With N