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 careful
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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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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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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 careful
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
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Recent Examples of mean
Amit Walia, Fortune, 25 June 2025
That meant buying physical books offered a legal workaround.
—ArsTechnica, 25 June 2025
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 25 June 2025
Published in September 2020, that report found that administrative closure helped reduce the case backlog and that people whose cases were put in administrative closure tended to gain lawful status through legal means.
—Cody Copeland, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 June 2025
New Atlas, 21 June 2025
To this day, the meanest alley cat in London testifies to the eternal return of cat life.
—Lewis Hyde, Harpers Magazine, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for mean
Verb
For Gen Z, who are digital natives, that may mean becoming early adopters of AI technologies, which can give them an edge.
—Amit Walia, Fortune, 25 June 2025
That meant buying physical books offered a legal workaround.
—ArsTechnica, 25 June 2025
Noun
Millions of people are alive and well who would no longer be with us but for the scientists whose selfless dedication and years of research led to the means to quash those deadly diseases.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 25 June 2025
Published in September 2020, that report found that administrative closure helped reduce the case backlog and that people whose cases were put in administrative closure tended to gain lawful status through legal means.
—Cody Copeland, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 June 2025
Adjective
Thirty participants with a mean age of 57.5 were recruited to the trial, each with curable or non-curable cancer and a diagnosis of major depression.
—New Atlas, 21 June 2025
To this day, the meanest alley cat in London testifies to the eternal return of cat life.
—Lewis Hyde, Harpers Magazine, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for mean
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mean
Verb
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This discount signifies investor skepticism regarding BP’s changing strategy, lackluster earnings, and structural challenges.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2025
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Juneteenth, observed annually in the United States on June 19, marks a pivotal moment in American history, signifying the effective end of slavery in the U.S.—
Rebecca L. Palmer,
The Orlando Sentinel,
19 June 2025
Verb
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The knowledge that my life only matters as a body for labor feeds on my heart like a parasite.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 June 2025
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The dads, Brads and Chads who dislike Swift made their negative thoughts known in the comments, but the one that really mattered came from Kelce.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
26 June 2025
Verb
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Basically, the administration intends to fix the budget shortfall by using a soft-hand approach with hiring, personnel and operational matters.—
Terina Allen,
Forbes.com,
28 June 2025
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Striped Button-downs Nautical stripes have been making major waves this summer (no pun intended), especially in the form of a breezy button-down top.—
Merrell Readman,
Travel + Leisure,
28 June 2025
Verb
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The document also indicated that more than 6,400 U.S. citizens living in Israel had submitted documentation asking for information regarding U.S.-charted evacuation flights.—
Adam Sabes , Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
23 June 2025
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The fact that oil prices fell sharply after the news broke also indicates that traders viewed the immediate threat of a widening war as diminished.—
Robert Rapier,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2025
Noun
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But the truce appeared to be on shaky ground Tuesday, with Trump accusing both countries of violating the agreement — and many airlines have halted select routes through the middle of the week, citing safety concerns.—
Wyatte Grantham-Philips,
Fortune,
24 June 2025
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The Mets hope Manaea can return for another rehab start by the middle of next week.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
24 June 2025
Noun
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As the Catholic archdiocese hunts for ways to contract, it’s been shedding churches wholesale and having no trouble finding buyers that are tuned to the doings — or undoing — of religious organizations.—
Justin Davidson,
Curbed,
27 June 2025
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Monteverdi’s work is about the amorous doings of the emperor Nero and his bride, Poppea.—
Justin Davidson,
Vulture,
20 June 2025
Noun
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According to the communications ministry, Iranians abroad can now contact their families inside Iran through domestic messaging apps.—
Sophie Tanno,
CNN Money,
21 June 2025
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The two sides held more talks in a virtual meeting on Thursday, attended by U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, Vietnam's trade ministry said in a statement.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
21 June 2025
Noun
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Philippine billionaire Lance Gokongwei is hiving off about 30.7 billion pesos ($536 million) worth of shopping malls into his family’s RL Commercial REIT that will help the group’s diversified property arm Robinsons Land Corp. raise funds to bankroll its expansion plans.—
Ian Sayson,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2025
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The 2022 Inflation Reduction Act passed by Democrats included hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of tax incentives for climate friendly energy sources including wind, solar and nuclear energy, as well as emerging technologies such as hydrogen and carbon capture.—
Rachel Frazin,
The Hill,
19 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mean.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mean. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.
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