mean

Plural: means

Noun

• an average of n numbers computed by adding some function of the numbers and dividing by some function of n
• A method or course of action used to achieve some result.
• An intermediate step or intermediate steps.
• Something which is intermediate or in the middle; an intermediate value or range of values; a medium.
• The middle part of three-part polyphonic music; now specifically, the alto part in polyphonic music; an alto instrument.
• Any function of multiple variables that satisfies certain properties and yields a number representative of its arguments; or, the number so yielded; a measure of central tendency.
• Any function of multiple variables that satisfies certain properties and yields a number representative of its arguments; or, the number so yielded; a measure of central tendency.
• The average of a set of values, calculated by summing them together and dividing by the number of terms.
• Either of the two numbers in the middle of a conventionally presented proportion, as 2 and 3 in 1:2=3:6.

Verb

Verb Forms: meant, meaning, means

• To intend to convey or express something.
• mean or intend to express or convey
  • "You never understand what I mean!"
• have as a logical consequence
  • "The water shortage means that we have to stop taking long showers"
• denote or connote
  • "`maison' means `house' in French"
  • "An example sentence would show what this word means"
• have in mind as a purpose
  • "I mean no harm"
  • "I only meant to help you"
• have a specified degree of importance
  • "My ex-husband means nothing to me"
  • "Happiness means everything"
• intend to refer to
  • "Yes, I meant you when I complained about people who gossip!"
• destine or designate for a certain purpose
  • "These flowers were meant for you"
• To intend.
• To intend, to plan (to do); to have as one's intention.
• To intend.
• To have as intentions of a given kind.
• To intend.
• To intend (something) for a given purpose or fate; to predestine.
• To intend.
• To intend an ensuing comment or statement as an explanation.
• To convey (a meaning).
• To convey (a given sense); to signify, or indicate (an object or idea).
• To convey (a meaning).
• Of a word, symbol etc: to have reference to, to signify.
• To convey (a meaning).
• Of a person (or animal etc): to intend to express, to imply, to hint at, to allude.
• To have conviction in (something said or expressed); to be sincere in (what one says).
• To cause or produce (a given result); to bring about (a given result).
• To be of some level of importance.
• To lament.

Adjective Satellite

• approximating the statistical norm or average or expected value
  • "the mean annual rainfall"
• characterized by malice
  • "in a mean mood"
• having or showing an ignoble lack of honor or morality; - Edmund Burke; ; - Shakespeare
  • "taking a mean advantage"
  • "chok'd with ambition of the meaner sort"
  • "something essentially vulgar and meanspirited in politics"
• excellent
  • "famous for a mean backhand"
• marked by poverty befitting a beggar
  • "a mean hut"
• (used of persons or behavior) characterized by or indicative of lack of generosity
  • "a mean person"
• (used of sums of money) so small in amount as to deserve contempt
• of no value or worth

Adj

• Common; general.
• Of a common or low origin, grade, or quality; common; humble.
• Low in quality or degree; inferior; poor; shabby.
• Without dignity of mind; destitute of honour; low-minded; spiritless; base.
• Of little value or worth; worthy of little or no regard; contemptible; despicable.
• Ungenerous; stingy; tight-fisted.
• Disobliging; pettily offensive or unaccommodating.
• Intending to cause harm, successfully or otherwise; bearing ill will towards another.
• Powerful; fierce; strong.
• Hearty; spicy.
• Accomplished with great skill; deft; hard to compete with.
• Difficult, tricky.
• Having the mean (see noun below) as its value; average.
• Middling; intermediate; moderately good, tolerable.

Adjective

• Unkind, malicious, or stingy; also, inferior in quality.

Examples

• a man of mean parentage
• a mean abode
• a mean appearance
• a mean dress
• a mean motive
• Actually this desk was meant for the subeditor.
• Do you mean to say you regret it after all?
• Does she really mean what she said to him last night?
• Don't be angry; she meant well.
• Formality and titles mean nothing in their circle.
• He hits a mean backhand.
• He's a little different, if you know what I mean.
• He's so mean. I've never seen him spend so much as five pounds on presents for his children.
• I didn't mean to knock your tooth out.
• I mean to go to Arévalo in Spainn this summer; been meaning to tell you for weeks, but I've just found the time.
• I meant to take the car in for a smog check, but it slipped my mind.
• I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean.
• It must have been a mean typhoon that levelled this town.
• It was a MEAN play, blocking my bingo, but strategically brilliant in Scrabble.
• It was mean of you to steal that little girl's piggy bank.
• Man was not meant to question such things.
• One faltering step means certain death.
• Say what you mean and mean what you say.
• That little dog meant everything to me.
• The authors meant a challenge to the status quo.
• The mean family has 2.4 children.
• The sky is red this morning—does that mean we're in for a storm?
• This breakthrough will mean that we spend less on electricity bills.
• This problem is mean!
• Watch out for her, she's mean. I said good morning to her, and she punched me in the nose.
• What did you MEAN by placing that ’X’ right next to my potential triple-word score?
• What does this hieroglyph mean?
• Your mother can roll a mean cigarette.
• Your reasoning seems needlessly abstruse, complex, and verbose for me. I mean, could you dumb it down for my sake?

Synonyms

average, base, bastardly, beggarly, entail, hateful, have in mind, imply, intend, mean value, meanspirited, mingy, miserly, signify, stand for, think, think of, tight, arithmetic mean, as tight as Dick's hatband, ass, bad, be serious, begrieve, below par, bemoan, bewail, beweep, bring about, broken, bum, cause, cheap, cheeseparing, chintzy, close, close as wax, close-fisted, condole, convey, crapperific, crappo, crappy, craptabulous, craptacular, craptastic, cruel, crummy, damaging, deft, deplore, fierce, flimsy, grieve, grieven, grotty, halfhearted, harsh, ignoble, illiberal, inconsiderate, indicate, inferior, insensitive, keen, lament, lead to, lousy, low, low-grade, malicious, mean, mean to say, mean-spirited, merciless, miserable, mourn, narrow-fisted, nasty, niggardly, nipcheese, parsimonious, peddling, penny-pinching, penny-wise, penurious, petty, pine, pitiful, pitiless, poor, poor-spirited, result in, rinky-dink, rubbish, ruthless, sad, schlocky, scrooge-like, scrubby, selfish, shabby, shitty, shoddy, sigh, skillful, slight, slim, sorrow, sorry, still got one's communion money, stingy, subpar, substandard, surly, swear, thoughtless, tight as a tick, tight-fisted, tighter than Dick's hatband, tin-pot, top-notch, unacceptable, uncaring, unfit, unfriendly, ungenerous, ungiving, ungrateful, unkind, unkindly, unsatisfactory, unsound, unsuitable, unthinking, vile, wail, wayment, woeful, wretched

Antonyms

compassionate, honorable, kindly, lofty, nice, noble

Related Words

grim, harsh, humorless, median, mediate, mediation, mediator, mediocre, mediocrity, medium, range, spread, stern

Anagrams of mean