1
a
: to have in the mind as a purpose : intend
She means to win.
—sometimes used interjectionally with I, chiefly in informal speech for emphasisHe throws, I mean, hard.
or to introduce a phrase restating the point of a preceding phraseWe try to answer what we can, but I mean we're not God.—
Bobbie Ann Mason
Bobbie Ann Mason
b
: to design for or destine to a specified purpose or future
I was meant to teach.
3
: to have importance to the degree of
Health means everything.
4
: to direct to a particular individual
His criticism was meant for all of us.
: to have an intended purpose
He means well.
1
somewhat informal
a
: unkind to others : cruel
My boss is always so mean.
the mean stepmother in a fairy tale
Why are you being so mean to me?
b
: threatening and dangerous
a mean dog
3
a
: of poor, shabby, or inferior quality or status
mean city streets
b
: worthy of little regard : contemptible
—often used in negative constructions as a term of praise
no mean feat
c
: causing trouble or bother : vexatious
a mean soil to work
6
: lacking in mental discrimination : dull
7
: lacking dignity or honor : base
a mean motive
8
: ashamed sense 1b
His ready cooperation made me feel mean for what I had said.
1
: occupying a middle position : intermediate in space, order, time, kind, or degree
2
3
: serving as a means : intermediary
1
a(1)
: something intervening or intermediate
(2)
: a middle point between extremes
b
: a value that lies within a range of values and is computed according to a prescribed law: such as
(1)
(2)
c
: either of the middle two terms of a proportion
2
means plural in form but singular or plural in construction
: something useful or helpful to a desired end
provided us with the means to get the job done
3
means plural
: resources available for disposal
especially
: material resources affording a secure life
Synonyms of mean
Examples of mean in a Sentence
Verb
The season of backyard barbecues and lakeside cookouts is at hand, which in most parts of the country means an orgy of grilled steaks, hamburgers and hot dogs lasting until Labor Day and beyond.
—R. W. Apple, Jr., New York Times, 5 June 2002
Even the water in the cave was free from surface contamination … which meant that all the water now in Lechugilla percolated into the cave before the widespread nuclear bomb testing of the 1940s …
—Jon Krakauer, Air & Space, October/November 1995
Home meant my father, with kind eyes, songs, and tense recitations for my brother and myself.
—Gwendolyn Brooks, Booklist, 15 Oct. 1993
The word meant one thing in Shakespeare's day, but it means something else now.
Red means “stop” and green means “go.”
Can you tell me what my dream means?
What was meant by the poet?
Don't distort what she meant by taking her words out of context.
He's very ambitious, and I mean that as a compliment.
It's a very easy question. Anyone, and I mean anyone, should be able to answer it.
She's not getting any thinner, if you know what I mean.
She says she didn't mean anything by what she did.
I don't trust him. He means no good.
Adjective (1)
For thirty years he had been a ruthless litigator, the meanest, nastiest, and without a doubt one of the most effective courtroom brawlers in Chicago.
—John Grisham, The Chamber, 1995
… the streets of Spanish Harlem are meaner than when he left them, and they're pulling him back in.
—Peter Travers, Rolling Stone, 9 Dec. 1993
… what you discover is the one with the tail was old mean landlord Mr. prosperous Prospero who wielded without thought of God or man the merry old cat-o'-nine-tails …
—Darryl Pinckney, Times Literary Supplement, 23 Aug. 1991
Creighton Abrams was a tanker, according to George Patton the meanest tanker the Germans had faced in the whole U.S. Third Army, and he had a temper that matched the fearsome machines he loved.
—Neil Sheehan, A Bright Shining Lie, 1988
Alexander Hamilton seems to have had feelings of inferiority because of his mean origins
a mean child who hoarded all her toys
a mean, embittered old woman who wanted company for her misery
a mean trick to play on a trusting person
it's no mean feat to memorize that long poem
I'm a mean dancer, so you could do worse than go to the prom with me
he worked hard to escape the mean neighborhood of his youth
that was no mean stunt to pull off, especially with so little advance preparation
Adjective (2)
for the state of Florida, what is the mean number of sunny days per month?
Noun
Take all these temperatures and calculate their mean.
trying to find a golden mean between doing too little and doing too much
R. W. Apple, Jr., New York Times, 5 June 2002
Even the water in the cave was free from surface contamination … which meant that all the water now in Lechugilla percolated into the cave before the widespread nuclear bomb testing of the 1940s …
—Jon Krakauer, Air & Space, October/November 1995
Home meant my father, with kind eyes, songs, and tense recitations for my brother and myself.
—Gwendolyn Brooks, Booklist, 15 Oct. 1993
The word meant one thing in Shakespeare's day, but it means something else now.
Red means “stop” and green means “go.”
Can you tell me what my dream means?
What was meant by the poet?
Don't distort what she meant by taking her words out of context.
He's very ambitious, and I mean that as a compliment.
It's a very easy question. Anyone, and I mean anyone, should be able to answer it.
She's not getting any thinner, if you know what I mean.
She says she didn't mean anything by what she did.
I don't trust him. He means no good.
Adjective (1)
For thirty years he had been a ruthless litigator, the meanest, nastiest, and without a doubt one of the most effective courtroom brawlers in Chicago.
—John Grisham, The Chamber, 1995
… the streets of Spanish Harlem are meaner than when he left them, and they're pulling him back in.
—Peter Travers, Rolling Stone, 9 Dec. 1993
… what you discover is the one with the tail was old mean landlord Mr. prosperous Prospero who wielded without thought of God or man the merry old cat-o'-nine-tails …
—Darryl Pinckney, Times Literary Supplement, 23 Aug. 1991
Creighton Abrams was a tanker, according to George Patton the meanest tanker the Germans had faced in the whole U.S. Third Army, and he had a temper that matched the fearsome machines he loved.
—Neil Sheehan, A Bright Shining Lie, 1988
Alexander Hamilton seems to have had feelings of inferiority because of his mean origins
a mean child who hoarded all her toys
a mean, embittered old woman who wanted company for her misery
a mean trick to play on a trusting person
it's no mean feat to memorize that long poem
I'm a mean dancer, so you could do worse than go to the prom with me
he worked hard to escape the mean neighborhood of his youth
that was no mean stunt to pull off, especially with so little advance preparation
Adjective (2)
for the state of Florida, what is the mean number of sunny days per month?
Noun
Take all these temperatures and calculate their mean.
trying to find a golden mean between doing too little and doing too much
Recent Examples on the Web
Liam Tharme, New York Times, 31 Oct. 2025
The Dodgers' bullpen is one of their weaknesses, meaning the team is asking a lot from starters.
—Aaliyan Mohammed, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 31 Oct. 2025
However, the women in the study were generally older—likely past menopause—with a mean age of nearly 62.
—Alice Park, Time, 28 Oct. 2025
Cassie Powell, The Conversation, 3 Nov. 2025
This surgical mask is my disguise and my means of shielding myself from covid spittle.
—Cora Frazier, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mean
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Verb
Facing more back fives and low blocks means Palace have relied on back-post crosses from the half-space more, either by Pino or Guehi.
—Liam Tharme, New York Times, 31 Oct. 2025
The Dodgers' bullpen is one of their weaknesses, meaning the team is asking a lot from starters.
—Aaliyan Mohammed, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
Don't be mean, don't be hitting people.
—Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 31 Oct. 2025
However, the women in the study were generally older—likely past menopause—with a mean age of nearly 62.
—Alice Park, Time, 28 Oct. 2025
Noun
Those with higher incomes bought houses, and those with less means continued to live in mobile homes.
—Cassie Powell, The Conversation, 3 Nov. 2025
This surgical mask is my disguise and my means of shielding myself from covid spittle.
—Cora Frazier, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mean
Cite this Entry
“Mean.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mean. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
mean
1 of 4 adjective1
: lacking distinction or prominence : humble
2
: of poor, shabby, or inferior quality or status
lives in mean surroundings
3
: worthy of little regard : inferior
—often used in negative constructions as a term of praise
a person of no mean ability
4
: deliberately unkind
5
7
: causing trouble or bother
a mean horse
8
: excellent
plays a mean trumpet
meanly
adverb
meanness
noun
ˈmēn-nəs
mean
2 of 4 verb
meant
ˈment
; meaning
ˈmē-niŋ
mean
3 of 4 adjective1
: holding a middle position : intermediate
2
a
: lying about midway between extremes
b
: being the mean of a set of values : average
mean temperature
mean
4 of 4 noun1
: a middle point between extremes
2
a
: a value that represents a range of values
especially
: arithmetic mean
b
: either of the middle two terms of a proportion
3
plural
: something by which a desired result is achieved or furthered
means of production
use any means you can
4
plural
: wealth sense 1
a person of means
Etymology
Adjective
Middle English mene, imene "held in common, inferior," from Old English gemǣne "held in common"
Verb
Old English mǣnan "to have in mind, intend"
Adjective
Middle English mene "being in a middle position," from early French meiene (same meaning), from Latin medianus "being in the middle" — related to median entry 1
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