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 malice
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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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Example Sentences
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Phrases Containing
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Entries Near
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Related Articles
1
as in to signify
to communicate or convey (as an idea) to the mind
the national anthem means various things to various people
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in careful
giving or sharing as little as possible
a mean child who hoarded all her toys
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in malice
the desire to cause pain for the satisfaction of doing harm
nothing more than unprovoked meanness drove him to smash the child's toy
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of mean
Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 1 June 2025
Controlling a fire means ensuring that the fire can't spread or cross the containment line.
—Ca Wildfire Bot, Sacbee.com, 1 June 2025
Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, Arkansas Online, 2 June 2025
Mainstream hybrids and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) like the Toyota Prius still rely on combustion engines as their main means of propulsion.
—Joe D'allegro, CNBC, 30 May 2025
Clare Morell, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 May 2025
For these reasons, the mean household income (which is the same as average household income) dataset is crucial because the Census Bureau has exact figures for it.
—Andrew Depietro, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for mean
Verb
Although research has shown that wet hair stretches more than dry hair before breaking, Erdogan clarified that this doesn’t mean the hair is more flexible and resilient.
—Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 1 June 2025
Controlling a fire means ensuring that the fire can't spread or cross the containment line.
—Ca Wildfire Bot, Sacbee.com, 1 June 2025
Noun
Having ditched the Conservative government's plan to send migrants who arrived in the U.K. by unauthorized means to Rwanda, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said his government would get control by smashing the gangs and the business models that sustain their smuggling operations.
—Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, Arkansas Online, 2 June 2025
Mainstream hybrids and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) like the Toyota Prius still rely on combustion engines as their main means of propulsion.
—Joe D'allegro, CNBC, 30 May 2025
Adjective
The Justices' other main line of questioning focused on what the technological changes over the last 20 years mean for how effective filtering technology is.
—Clare Morell, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 May 2025
For these reasons, the mean household income (which is the same as average household income) dataset is crucial because the Census Bureau has exact figures for it.
—Andrew Depietro, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for mean
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mean
Verb
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With Bitcoin presently trading around $106,000, this signifies a solid 55% gain on their investment.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
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The ink on his crown — a large number 6 — signifies his status as the sixth member of a small but increasingly visible community: a local band of barbers and tattoo artists who call themselves Viet Chicanos.—
Stephanie Yang,
Los Angeles Times,
27 May 2025
Verb
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By leveraging the right tools for your organization, your team can streamline workflows, foster collaboration and focus on what matters most: delivering impactful, high-quality work.—
Andrea Ruskin,
Forbes.com,
2 June 2025
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Versatile and relentless styles The systems aren’t necessarily identical, and that doesn’t really matter.—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
2 June 2025
Verb
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The resulting images and video are intended to be used as reference files for the real thing, so that astronauts and imaging technicians can better understand what camera settings to use, and how large the resulting image or video files might be when transmitted.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
4 June 2025
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The doctrine is intended to inform the agency of the claims to potentially avoid costly and time-consuming litigation.—
Matthew L. Roberts,
Forbes.com,
4 June 2025
Verb
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Despite some reports indicating otherwise, the 28-year-old Bieber, who is married to singer Justin Bieber, almost certainly won’t become a billionaire from the deal, which is structured to pay out $600 million in cash and $200 million in e.l.f.—
Jemima McEvoy,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
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In previous years, rent also rose faster in these areas compared with the rest of the county, but the gap grew post-fires, which experts said indicates the fires are the likely cause.—
Phi Do,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2025
Verb
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Just as its name implies, this oversized two-story vessel sits moored in the tranquil waters of Montego Bay, serving an extensive menu of mostly seafood dishes, but with a little something for every diner.—
Carley Rojas Avila,
Travel + Leisure,
3 June 2025
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This implies a poor Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 46.2% (vs. 19.9% for S&P 500).—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
3 June 2025
Verb
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With a major overhaul of the car design regulations on the horizon for next year, all teams are currently weighing the trade-off between keeping some resources focused on making gains for this year versus going all-in for a better car in 2026.—
Luke Smith,
New York Times,
29 May 2025
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Many expect Durant to be moved after another year of underperforming with the Suns, while Antetokounmpo is weighing his future in Milwaukee.—
Matt Levine,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 May 2025
Verb
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Those who stayed were treated to an unexpected, magical celebration, especially the bride and groom, who had allowed the stress of wedding planning to be washed away.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
People.com,
25 May 2025
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As planned, Trump went on to call Zelensky and other European leaders.—
Rebecca Schneid,
Time,
25 May 2025
Verb
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This denotes a very strong Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.1%(compared to 19.9% for the S&P 500).—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
3 June 2025
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The menu denotes which spirits are made in Colorado or come from businesses owned by women, people of color or members of the LGBTQIA+ community.—
Beth Rankin,
Denver Post,
27 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mean.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mean. Accessed 7 Jun. 2025.
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