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 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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as in average
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as in low
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as in stingy
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as in cruel
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as in dirty
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as in inferior
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as in awesome
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as in dilapidated
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as in lame
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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 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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
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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2
as in stingy
giving or sharing as little as possible
a mean child who hoarded all her toys
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3
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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4
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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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 awesome
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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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of mean
Miami Herald, 24 Aug. 2025
This means that the build process is streamlined and sped up, compared to having to install an extra timber shell, like Icon's Mueller homes.
—New Atlas, 24 Aug. 2025
Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
At first glance, things may look severe, but that has not been corroborated by any means.
—James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Sep. 2025
Dan Heching, EW.com, 28 Aug. 2025
The distributor will also have the new, third, season of cyber-crime drama Stalk, about a gifted hacker who uses his skills to exact revenge on mean classmates.
—Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mean
Verb
Of the other two, the Fins get the Chargers at home, meaning at Bills is the only really daunting game in the first half of the season.
—Miami Herald, 24 Aug. 2025
This means that the build process is streamlined and sped up, compared to having to install an extra timber shell, like Icon's Mueller homes.
—New Atlas, 24 Aug. 2025
Noun
Unlike other bird species whose population sizes are regulated largely by natural forces — such as food availability, predators or constraints in their habitats — chickens are bred and multiplied by the billions by means of global agricultural industries.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
At first glance, things may look severe, but that has not been corroborated by any means.
—James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
As the sometimes mean, always no-nonsense bailiff Roz Russell, Marsha Warfield kept extremely busy on television throughout the '90s, appearing on everything from Empty Nest to Touched by an Angel to Veronica's Closet.
—Dan Heching, EW.com, 28 Aug. 2025
The distributor will also have the new, third, season of cyber-crime drama Stalk, about a gifted hacker who uses his skills to exact revenge on mean classmates.
—Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mean
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mean
Verb
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The September full moon is also called the harvest moon, signifying the end of the growing season.—
Tiffany Acosta,
AZCentral.com,
3 Sep. 2025
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Fluidstack’s borrowing in 2025 also would signify around half of the $20 billion raised in debt and equity last year by the scores of AI data center startups.—
Iain Martin,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Support journalism that digs deeper into topics that matter most to Arkansans.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
7 Sep. 2025
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The symbolic weight of the Golden Lion matters, not just to the artists but to the entire field.—
Charlie Fink,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
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However, they were limited to single steps to tackle multi-surface flooring and not intended for use on stairs.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
4 Sep. 2025
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Although grand juries are intended to provide a check on prosecutorial power, Blackman said that check can become a shield against justice when used this way.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Containment indicates what percentage of the fire perimeter has been surrounded by a control line.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
5 Sep. 2025
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Similarly, some studies indicate heat can boost flexibility and range of motion during stretching.—
Lauren Leffer,
Popular Science,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Moore attempted to catch a pass from quarterback Caleb Wiliams over the middle of the field, when he was pulled down by defenders.—
James Brizuela,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Sep. 2025
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The swells will continue to build and increase along east-facing shorelines through the middle of the week, the hurricane center warned.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Some of it has been by our own doing.—
John Perrotto,
Forbes.com,
31 Aug. 2025
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There is plenty of money to spend, but Dubas doesn’t want to lock himself into risky, long-term deals right now when the team is in transition and several bad contracts — some of which were his doing — remain on the books.—
Josh Yohe,
New York Times,
25 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said world leaders had been invited to attend Beijing's commemorations to mark 80 years since the end of World War Two.—
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Sep. 2025
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The pastor has decided to turn the other cheek, while noting the challenges his flock will face carrying out their ministry of aid.—
Jose R. Gonzalez,
AZCentral.com,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Collectively their net worth soared 23% to a record level of $239 billion, in a year when the nation is celebrating its 60th anniversary.—
Naazneen Karmali,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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For Georgia Southern, the trip to California – with a loss at Fresno State last week and a week’s worth of practices at the Dallas Cowboys’ training camp in Oxnard before Saturday’s appointment in the Coliseum – was a good test before the Eagles begin Sun Belt Conference play.—
Jim Alexander,
Oc Register,
7 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mean.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mean. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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