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
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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
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 6 May 2026
That’s why these two regular-season trips still mean something now.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 6 May 2026
Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 3 May 2026
Dave Grohl faces the backlash with the leanest, meanest Foo Fighters album in 30 years.
—Stuart Berman, Pitchfork, 25 Apr. 2026
Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 27 Apr. 2026
The use of new media to gather information involves new skills of verification and cannot fully substitute for traditional means of journalism.
—Kirstin Pellizzaro, Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mean
Verb
The state’s inexplicable obsession with secrecy means no one knows.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 6 May 2026
That’s why these two regular-season trips still mean something now.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 6 May 2026
Adjective
As this sequence plays out, the social fabric further shreds and unravels; trust circles shrink and become ever more homogeneous; and hostility, mean spiritedness, and a general hardening take hold in society.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 3 May 2026
Dave Grohl faces the backlash with the leanest, meanest Foo Fighters album in 30 years.
—Stuart Berman, Pitchfork, 25 Apr. 2026
Noun
Still, this isn’t a bad group by any means, and the team could easily go into the season with Barmore, Durden, Taylor, Williams and Farmer/Gregory.
—Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 27 Apr. 2026
The use of new media to gather information involves new skills of verification and cannot fully substitute for traditional means of journalism.
—Kirstin Pellizzaro, Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mean
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mean
Verb
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The follow-up session resulted in commitment to the concept of the United Nations, which, moving forward, signified the Allies’ goals in World War II.—
Arthur I. Cyr,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
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These walls signify what that sacrifice has meant across nearly two centuries.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Attenborough matters because, for generations of TV viewers, in scores of countries, he has been regarded as the person who best understands one crucial purpose of the medium—who has made the most fruitful use of what television, uniquely, can be for.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
8 May 2026
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Titles don’t matter — results do.—
Jemma Stephenson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 May 2026
Verb
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The state is planning a $10 million project that will impact two communities and, in addition to replacing outdated infrastructure, the work is intended to improve safety for motorists and pedestrians, records show.—
Sean Krofssik,
Hartford Courant,
12 May 2026
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In April, Congressman Brendan Boyle (D-PA), announced his Gas Price Relief Act in Philadelphia, a move intended to lower climbing gas prices.—
Kaitlyn McCormick,
USA Today,
11 May 2026
Verb
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Court filings from separate litigation indicate Khiell Dukes is Dukes’ brother and Ramsey is the rapper’s half-brother.—
Tess Kenny,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
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This strategic move is backed by internal DressX’s own data, which indicates that users who engage with virtual try-on features see a tenfold increase in conversion rates compared to those who do not.—
Arthur Zaczkiewicz,
Footwear News,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Supply constraints could take months to normalize and the impact on prices by the middle of this year could be huge.—
Tobias Burns,
CNBC,
10 May 2026
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Grande will be in the middle of the Eternal Sunshine tour when the record arrives.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
10 May 2026
Noun
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Ohm’s fix is partially his own doing.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
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Aquarium staff were confident the escape was entirely Inky’s own doing, pointing to the tight security at the facility and their understanding of how octopuses behave.—
Samantha Agate,
Charlotte Observer,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Horner started at the church around junior high and was part of the youth ministry.—
Amy McDaniel,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
27 Apr. 2026
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An official with Cuba’s interior ministry who retired in 1995, he now has been forced to work again to boost his income and chose farming.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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That vomit accretes in layers across avian generations, trapping 50,000 years’ worth of data about the birds’ diet and the sea ice environment.—
Hannah Richter,
Scientific American,
7 May 2026
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The Book of Mormon has canceled two weeks’ worth of performances after an electrical fire broke out in the theater.—
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
7 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mean.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mean. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
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