Synonyms of mean
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as in to signify
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as in to matter
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as in to intend
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as in to indicate
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as in cruel
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as in dirty
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as in low
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as in stingy
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as in inferior
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as in great
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as in dilapidated
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as in lame
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as in average
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as in middle
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as in doing
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as in ministry
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as in worth
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1
as in to signify
to communicate or convey (as an idea) to the mind
the national anthem means various things to various people
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in to matter
to be of importance
your presence at my graduation would mean a lot to me
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3
as in to intend
to have in mind as a purpose or goal
I mean to win this race
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1
as in cruel
having or showing a desire to cause someone pain or suffering for the sheer enjoyment of it
a mean, embittered old woman who wanted company for her misery
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2
as in dirty
not following or in accordance with standards of honor and decency
a mean trick to play on a trusting person
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3
as in low
belonging to the class of people of low social or economic rank
Alexander Hamilton seems to have had feelings of inferiority because of his mean origins
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4
as in stingy
giving or sharing as little as possible
a mean child who hoarded all her toys
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5
as in inferior
of little or less value or merit
it's no mean feat to memorize that long poem
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6
as in great
of the very best kind
I'm a mean dancer, so you could do worse than go to the prom with me
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7
as in dilapidated
showing signs of advanced wear and tear and neglect
he worked hard to escape the mean neighborhood of his youth
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8
as in lame
arousing or deserving of one's loathing and disgust
that was no mean stunt to pull off, especially with so little advance preparation
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as in average
being about midway between extremes of amount or size
for the state of Florida, what is the mean number of sunny days per month?
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1
as in middle
a middle point between extremes
that candidate's moderate views were seen as the mean that voters were looking for
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2
as in doing
means plural
an action planned or taken to achieve a desired result
won the competition by fair and honest means
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3
as in ministry
means plural
something used to achieve an end
the ends don't justify the means
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4
as in worth
means plural
the total of one's money and property
a woman of considerable means
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of mean
ABC News, 3 June 2026
The landlord was granted possession of the residence, meaning the Sin City star no longer has a legal right to occupy it.
—Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 3 June 2026
Emeline Atwood, PEOPLE, 31 May 2026
In the meantime, the swarm of online trolls in the Raygun thread got bolder and meaner.
—Lyz Lenz, Rolling Stone, 28 May 2026
Carita Rizzo, Deadline, 1 June 2026
The answer is not obvious or easy by any means.
—David Troy Outkick, FOXNews.com, 1 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for mean
Verb
The animal was originally meant to be slaughtered for the Muslim festival of sacrifice.
—ABC News, 3 June 2026
The landlord was granted possession of the residence, meaning the Sin City star no longer has a legal right to occupy it.
—Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 3 June 2026
Adjective
Her class contained a very mean clique of girls.
—Emeline Atwood, PEOPLE, 31 May 2026
In the meantime, the swarm of online trolls in the Raygun thread got bolder and meaner.
—Lyz Lenz, Rolling Stone, 28 May 2026
Noun
But in filming that, there was this playground to explore, by means of reacting off a still life, instead of reacting off something that had movement and breath, like another actor or even an animal.
—Carita Rizzo, Deadline, 1 June 2026
The answer is not obvious or easy by any means.
—David Troy Outkick, FOXNews.com, 1 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for mean
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mean
Verb
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When presented as a wall installation, the pages are transmuted into an object signifying nothing but the imitation of writing by a depersonalized other.—
Erika Landström,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
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And whether that was on Brown, the offense or a combination, too many factors aligned to signify the end of an impressive four-year run with the Eagles that included three All-Pro teams and a Super Bowl.—
Jeff Howe,
New York Times,
1 June 2026
Verb
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Support journalism that digs deeper into topics that matter most to Arkansans.—
Alex Thomas,
Arkansas Online,
4 June 2026
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In a city where Democrats outnumber Republicans by a staggering margin, Bass’ failure to consolidate more support suggests her tenure has fallen short on the issues that matter most.—
Douglas Schoen,
Oc Register,
4 June 2026
Verb
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Ghirri’s oversize Polaroids, which increased the usual scale of his modest images to roughly tabloid size, were mounted on hefty support columns clad in coir, a jute-like material used for doormats, obviously intended to thwart any suggestion of monumentality.—
James Quandt,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
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Authorities say Long intended to carry out similar attacks in Florida, but his parents had called police after recognizing their son in images from security video posted online.—
Dan Raby,
CBS News,
1 June 2026
Verb
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Police said their investigation indicated an argument escalated to gunfire.—
Nathan Pilling,
Kansas City Star,
2 June 2026
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Meanwhile, surveys indicate that US car buyers are aware of the concerns but don’t care.—
Jonathan M. Gitlin,
ArsTechnica,
2 June 2026
Adjective
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Electronic bugs are installed, secretaries listen in on every phone call and conversation, and rock 'n roll is banned in this cruel culture of absolute secrecy.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
29 May 2026
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The slaughter of Australian infantry at the hands of Turkish guns on the coastal region of Gallipoli has become emblematic of the pointless loss of life during this cruel conflict.—
Jordan Hoffman,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 May 2026
Adjective
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My father was running the skid steer outside, clearing the snow, leaving dirty white mounds to either side of the driveway that led from the house out to the range road.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
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Workers have told us that even wiping sweat from their face can be criticized because supervisors worry about the garment getting dirty.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Footwear News,
2 June 2026
Adjective
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The rulings do not clear the former paramedics of wrongdoing but return the cases to the lower court for a possible retrial.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
5 June 2026
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The tech contagion spread to stocks in Asia, dragging key indexes lower.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
5 June 2026
Adjective
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Some of Colorado's top scorers have struggled against the Golden Knights' stingy defense.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
23 May 2026
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Montreal’s rebuild looks like the class of the league, Buffalo is finally on the rise, and Ottawa made the playoffs off a stingy brand of possession hockey.—
Dom Luszczyszyn,
New York Times,
20 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mean.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mean. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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