mean
/miːn/
verb
- To intend to express or convey something.
- What do you mean by that comment?
- The red light means you must stop.
- I didn't mean to hurt your feelings.
- To have a particular result or be a sign of something.
- Dark clouds usually mean rain is coming.
- This new law means higher taxes for everyone.
- Getting a good education can mean a better future.
- To intend something for a particular purpose or person.
- I meant this as a joke, not an insult.
- This gift is meant for you.
- The program was meant to help struggling students.
adjective
- Unkind, cruel, or not willing to help others.
- It was mean of her to laugh at his mistake.
- Don't be so mean to your little brother.
- The mean boy teased the new student.
- Excellent or impressive; very skillful (informal).
- She plays a mean guitar solo.
- He makes a mean spaghetti sauce.
- That's a mean basketball shot you have.
- Not generous; stingy with money or resources.
- He is too mean to leave a tip at the restaurant.
- The mean landlord refused to fix the broken heater.
- Her mean spending habits left her with plenty of savings.
noun
- The average value of a set of numbers, calculated by adding them together and dividing by the total count.
- To find the mean, add all the scores and divide by the number of students.
- The mean of 2, 4, and 6 is 4.
- The mean temperature for July was 85 degrees.
- A middle point or state between two extremes.
- The philosopher argued for a golden mean in all things.
- His diet strikes a mean between indulgence and restriction.
- She tries to find a happy mean between work and play.
Synonyms