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
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 8 Nov. 2025
Fire containment What does 100% containment mean?
—Ca Wildfire Bot, Sacbee.com, 8 Nov. 2025
Keith Phipps, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2025
Don't be mean, don't be hitting people.
—Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 31 Oct. 2025
Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Nov. 2025
Axiom strictly avoids heavy chemical use as the necessary means to its end goal.
—Malana Vantyler, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mean
Verb
Safer and more efficient batteries For society, such advances mean safer and more efficient batteries that accelerate the transition to clean energy.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 8 Nov. 2025
Fire containment What does 100% containment mean?
—Ca Wildfire Bot, Sacbee.com, 8 Nov. 2025
Adjective
The first is Christopher Walken as Gabriel, a mean-spirited angel who sniffs and licks crime scenes and inspects children’s teeth for reasons that sort of make sense within the movie.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2025
Don't be mean, don't be hitting people.
—Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 31 Oct. 2025
Noun
And some of the ideas for doing that involve controversial means.
—Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Nov. 2025
Axiom strictly avoids heavy chemical use as the necessary means to its end goal.
—Malana Vantyler, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mean
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mean
Verb
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Heart rate decreases during stretching, which could signify the body entering a calm state.—
Sarah Bence,
Verywell Health,
6 Nov. 2025
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The data signified a reversal from the 29,000 decline seen in September.—
Sean Conlon,Sawdah Bhaimiya,
CNBC,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Support journalism that digs deeper into topics that matter most to Arkansans.—
Amir Mahmoud,
Arkansas Online,
9 Nov. 2025
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Detail matters in a sprawling residence in the Sacramento foothills, from its bespoke tile work to rich cherry-wood flooring, from unique layout to the use of old Chicago brick in a solarium-like room.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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That’s a significant contrast to other parts of the Forbidden City, marked by wide open spaces intended to represent the grandeur of imperial power and territory.—
Fred He,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
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The country is now poised to start up a new EV incentive program that goes into effect in January 2026, and is intended to help lower- and middle-income buyers adopt zero tailpipe emission vehicles.—
Lora Kolodny,
CNBC,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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AeroMap has been validated against NASA wind tunnel data, with results showing close agreement between its predictions and experimental measurements, indicating its suitability for sustainable aircraft development, according to a press release.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Nov. 2025
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He was known to the university only as Justin Phillips and none of the school’s records indicated a prior identity, according to the statement.—
Tim Stelloh,
NBC news,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
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And with Miller sidelined until at least the middle of the month, the Hornets will need James to keep filling in at a respectable clip in order to maintain things as much as possible given Miller’s importance as a two-way player, allowing Lee to put him on some of the opposition’s top talent.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
3 Nov. 2025
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Brown, a transfer from North Dakota State, plays a similar style to Fletcher — a bruiser, physical, run-up-the-middle running back.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Jesus walked earth as God’s doings and words, as a manifestation of it, but Jesus was not God.—
Jayson Buford,
Rolling Stone,
3 Nov. 2025
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That’s what all that computing equipment is in the shed doing.—
Caroline Mimbs Nyce,
New Yorker,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Newsweek has contacted the Russian and Chinese foreign ministries for comment via email.—
Ryan Chan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
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Vietnam’s Prime Minister urged the country’s emergency response agencies and ministries to ready themselves as the country braces for the impact of the typhoon.—
Rajeev Tyagi,
ABC News,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
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According to the market research firm EchoTik, the TikTok Shop sold $19 billion worth of products globally in the third quarter of this year, from July through September.—
Andrew Nusca,
Fortune,
10 Nov. 2025
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For me, the ring wasn't about my partner proving his financial worth to me.—
Meg Walters,
Glamour,
9 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mean.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mean. Accessed 11 Nov. 2025.
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