Synonyms of meaning

meaning 1 of 3

noun

ˈmē-niŋ 

1

as in sense

the idea that is conveyed or intended to be conveyed to the mind by language, symbol, or action

the unmistakable meaning of the skier's upraised arms as he finished his spectacular run

Synonyms & Similar Words

• sense
• significance
• content
• intention
• intent
• definition
• import
• connotation
• theme
• implication
• message
• signification
• nature
• drift
• denotation
• purport
• indication
• essence
• suggestion
• clue
• topic
• stuff
• tenor
• hint
• spirit
• motive
• cue
• subject
• acceptance
• soul
• question
• inkling
• matter
• heart
• burden
• intimation
• core
• bottom
• kernel
• point
• marrow
• nucleus
• gist
• motif
• essentiality
• acceptation
• crux
• pith
• nub
• quick

2

as in purpose

something that one hopes or intends to accomplish

the people have a right to know what the president's meaning is in getting the nation involved in this war

Synonyms & Similar Words

• purpose
• goal
• plan
• idea
• intention
• aim
• intent
• object
• thing
• objective
• ambition
• dream
• design
• aspiration
• target
• point
• end
• ideal
• mark
• name of the game
• project
• hope
• bourne
• pretension
• mind
• desire
• scheme
• wish
• plot
• destination
• holy grail
• grail
• nirvana
• terminus

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• means
• method
• way

meaning

2 of 3

adjective

as in suggestive

clearly conveying a special meaning (as one's mood)

gave me a meaning look after I said that

Synonyms & Similar Words

• suggestive
• revealing
• meaningful
• eloquent
• expressive
• reminiscent
• revelatory
• pregnant
• significant
• vivid
• graphic
• pictorial
• evocative
• redolent
• flavorful
• rich
• weighty
• sententious
• full-bodied

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• blank
• vacant
• deadpan
• inexpressive
• expresionless
• unexpressive

meaning

3 of 3

verb

present participle of mean

1

as in denoting

to communicate or convey (as an idea) to the mind

the national anthem means various things to various people

Synonyms & Similar Words

• denoting
• signifying
• implying
• spelling
• indicating
• expressing
• intending
• suggesting
• importing
• explaining
• inferring
• representing
• symbolizing
• connoting
• specifying
• hinting
• mentioning
• amounting (to)
• symboling
• embodying
• intimating
• announcing
• signaling
• pointing (to)
• referring (to)
• proclaiming
• alluding (to)
• touching (on or upon)
• citing
• adding up (to)
• personifying
• insinuating
• elucidating
• designating
• adverting
• epitomizing
• declaring
• instancing

2

as in weighing

to be of importance

your presence at my graduation would mean a lot to me

Synonyms & Similar Words

• weighing
• mattering
• signifying
• influencing
• counting
• importing
• affecting
• cutting ice
• carrying weight
• concerning
• swaying
• amounting (to)
• adding up (to)

3

as in planning

to have in mind as a purpose or goal

I mean to win this race

Synonyms & Similar Words

• planning
• intending
• hoping
• contemplating
• looking
• going
• aiming
• trying
• wishing
• proposing
• designing
• calculating
• meditating
• purporting
• aspiring
• allowing
• attempting
• purposing
• considering
• dreaming
• pondering
• figuring on
• striving
• debating
• struggling
• achieving
• plotting
• accomplishing
• effecting
• endeavoring
• performing
• mulling (over)
• executing
• scheming

4

as in indicating

to serve as a sign or symptom of

these colder nights mean autumn has truly arrived

Synonyms & Similar Words

• indicating
• denoting
• signifying
• pointing (to)
• telling (of)
• betokening
• foretelling
• bespeaking
• presaging
• boding
• foreshowing

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of meaning

Noun

This means their meaning is easier to guess for someone without any previous knowledge of the gesture or language being spoken; perfect for creating a new language from scratch. — Hannah Little, Scientific American, 20 Sep. 2026

As Colvin has grown up, her grandparents' stories have also taken on more meaning for her. — Anya Steinberg, NPR, 20 Sep. 2026

Adjective

To see you as a newborn child and then to look at you and to know that every step along the way, to witness that journey, is the most meaning aspect of my life. — Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 4 Feb. 2026

For Robell Awake, the chair is a meaning-laden object, symbolic of rest, a stand-in for the human body, a reflection of historical power dynamics. — Felicia Feaster, AJC.com, 30 Jan. 2026

Verb

With just a few more steps, the group turned the approximation of the surface into an explicit equation and, ultimately, a family of polynomials with degree-23 (meaning the variable climbs to x23 and there are 23 roots to shuffle around). — Lyndie Chiou, Scientific American, 22 Sep. 2026

This matter rotates in the same direction as the central young star, meaning planets that may emerge shuld also rotate in the same direction. — Robert Lea, Space.com, 22 Sep. 2026