mean
adjective
1. (math) the average or expected value
- the mean annual rainfall
Similar word(s): normal, average
2. intending to cause harm; bearing ill will towards another; cruel; malicious.
- in a mean mood
Similar word(s): awful, nasty, hateful
3. having or showing a lack of honor or morality
- taking a mean advantage
- chok'd with ambition of the meaner sort
- something essentially vulgar and meanspirited in politics
Similar word(s): ignoble, base, meanspirited
4. Done with great skill; hard to compete with; excellent.
- famous for a mean fastball
Similar word(s): skilled
5. low in quality or degree; inferior; poor; shabby.
- a mean hut
Similar word(s): poor, beggarly
6. (used of persons or behavior) characterized by or indicative of lack of generosity
- a mean person
Similar word(s): stingy, ungenerous, mingy, miserly, tight
7. (used of sums of money) so small in amount as to deserve contempt
Similar word(s): stingy, ungenerous, beggarly
8. selfish; acting without consideration of others; unkind.
Sentences with mean as an adjective:
- a man of mean parentage
- a mean appearance
- a mean motive
- He's so mean. I've never seen him spend so much as five pounds on presents for his children.
- It was mean to steal the girl's piggy bank, but he just had to get uptown and he had no cash of his own.
- Watch out for her, she's mean. I said good morning to her, and she punched me in the nose.
- It must have been a mean typhoon that levelled this town.
- Your mother can roll a mean cigarette.
- He hits a mean backhand.
- This problem is mean!
noun
1. an average of n numbers computed by adding some function of the numbers and dividing by some function of n
verb
1. mean or intend to express or convey
- You never understand what I mean!
Similar word(s): intend
Definition categories: communication, convey
2. have as a logical consequence
- The water shortage means that we have to stop taking long showers
Similar word(s): entail, imply
Definition categories: stative, necessitate
3. denote or connote
- `maison' means `house' in French
- An example sentence would show what this word means
Similar word(s): intend, signify
Definition categories: communication
4. have in mind as a purpose
- I mean no harm
- I only meant to help you
Similar word(s): intend, think
Definition categories: cognition
5. have a specified degree of importance
- My ex-husband means nothing to me
- Happiness means everything
Definition categories: stative
6. intend to refer to
- Yes, I meant you when I complained about people who gossip!
Definition categories: cognition, associate, colligate, connect, link, relate
7. destine or designate for a certain purpose
- These flowers were meant for you
Definition categories: cognition, designate, destine, intend, specify
Sentences with mean as a verb:
- I didn't mean to knock your tooth out.
- I mean to go to Baddeck this summer.
- I meant to take the car in for a smog check, but it slipped my mind.
- Don't be angry; she meant well.
- Actually this desk was meant for the subeditor.
- Man was not meant to question such things.
- I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean.
- The sky is red this morning—does that mean we're in for a storm?
- What does this hieroglyph mean?
- Does she really mean what she said to him last night?
- Say what you mean and mean what you say.
- One faltering step means certain death.
- My home life means a lot to me.