as in villains
a mean, evil, or unprincipled person
the class thought the substitute teacher was a big meanie when she assigned homework over the holidays
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Recent Examples of meanies
I'mPhaedra Trethan, applauding this Missouri TV anchor for mocking the meanies who tried to mock her.
—
Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 11 Dec. 2025
Once cooler weather pushes in, experts predict that both the moon jellies and pink meanies are likely to disappear from Texas beaches.
—Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 25 Sep. 2025
The Drymonema larsoni, commonly known as pink meanies, were first observed in the Gulf Coast in 2000.
—Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 25 Sep. 2025
Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 11 Dec. 2025
Once cooler weather pushes in, experts predict that both the moon jellies and pink meanies are likely to disappear from Texas beaches.
—Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 25 Sep. 2025
The Drymonema larsoni, commonly known as pink meanies, were first observed in the Gulf Coast in 2000.
—Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 25 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for meanies
Noun
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In keeping with the promotion, the Sox players’ photos on the video board cast them as villains wearing black and eye patches.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
17 June 2026
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Beyond harsher criticism, sports media frames Black athletes differently — often naming them as villains, failures, antagonists or questioning their leadership when necessary.—
Brielle Miller,
Baltimore Sun,
16 June 2026
Noun
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That’s happened in several Mid Atlantic rivers, but in the absence of larger brutes like blues and flathead, channels will thrive and can break the 15-pound mark.—
Joe Cermele,
Outdoor Life,
9 Apr. 2026
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In Raspail’s tale, hordes of impoverished and dark-skinned brutes from India descend onto French shores by way of rafts, the first wave of an invasion of the civilized West by the brown-skinned developing world.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Gremlins walked the earth so Labubu monsters could run to a World Cup.—
Caoimhe O'Neill,
New York Times,
14 June 2026
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However, classist monsters online have engaged my inner Hammond and my inner ‘Rat.—
Gretchen Kalwinski,
Chicago Tribune,
12 June 2026
Noun
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But there are lots of potential devils in the details (otherwise there’d be little need for experimental reactors).—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
9 June 2026
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Tasmanian devils — agile, mostly nocturnal animals that can roam for 10 miles in a single night — have been extinct on the Australian mainland for more than 3,000 years.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
4 June 2026
Noun
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Or a group of shipwrecked boys turning into savages and killing one another?—
Glenn Whipp,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
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The Indians in Westerns had war paint and whooped like savages.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 May 2026
Noun
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An allegation last year by a provincial police commander that top officers and officials were colluding with organized criminals led Ramaphosa to announce a national investigation into police corruption.—
Michelle Gumede,
Los Angeles Times,
13 June 2026
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Roman emperors, sometimes urged on by the crowd, were known to grant pardons (to criminals) and freedom (to the enslaved) after an especially noteworthy performance.—
Cullen Murphy,
The Atlantic,
13 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Meanies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/meanies. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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