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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Example Sentences
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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
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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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of mean
François Candelon, Fortune, 31 Oct. 2025
Diet and exercise are modifiable, meaning someone has control over them.
—Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 31 Oct. 2025
Alice Park, Time, 28 Oct. 2025
West-facing windows throughout mean golden-hour light.
—Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 27 Oct. 2025
Ryma Chikhoune, Footwear News, 30 Oct. 2025
What does a rate cut mean for consumer savings?
—Rachel Barber, USA Today, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mean
Verb
This doesn’t mean human collaboration becomes obsolete.
—François Candelon, Fortune, 31 Oct. 2025
Diet and exercise are modifiable, meaning someone has control over them.
—Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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
West-facing windows throughout mean golden-hour light.
—Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 27 Oct. 2025
Noun
Smith noted that staying relevant means evolving beyond traditional print.
—Ryma Chikhoune, Footwear News, 30 Oct. 2025
What does a rate cut mean for consumer savings?
—Rachel Barber, USA Today, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mean
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mean
Verb
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According to Accenture’s 2025 Pulse of Change report, 27% of organizations are already investing in AI agents across multiple parts of their enterprises, signifying the real value AI is creating.—
Daniel Kendzior,
Fortune,
31 Oct. 2025
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While the northern portion of the eyewall began moving ashore earlier on Tuesday morning, landfall signifies the moment when a hurricane's center crosses the shore onto land.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Support journalism that digs deeper into topics that matter most to Arkansans.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
26 Oct. 2025
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But what matters is how such issues are addressed.—
Lisa Eadicicco,
CNN Money,
25 Oct. 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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That’s what all that computing equipment is in the shed doing.—
Caroline Mimbs Nyce,
New Yorker,
30 Oct. 2025
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That is the doing of CEO Robin Vince.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
16 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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On the first day of November, the final score — Los Angeles Dodgers 5, Toronto Blue Jays 4 in 11 innings — did not sufficiently capture what felt like a month’s worth of tension and drama.—
Chandler Rome,
New York Times,
2 Nov. 2025
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In 2024, almost 3 billion euros’ worth of products were exported to the country, half of which were fragrances.—
Jennifer Weil,
Footwear News,
31 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mean.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mean. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
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