Synonyms of means

means 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of mean

1

as in signifies

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

the national anthem means various things to various people

Synonyms & Similar Words

• signifies
• implies
• denotes
• indicates
• suggests
• intends
• spells
• expresses
• explains
• represents
• imports
• infers
• symbolizes
• connotes
• symbols
• specifies
• mentions
• hints
• amounts (to)
• announces
• embodies
• refers (to)
• points (to)
• signals
• intimates
• adds up (to)
• alludes (to)
• proclaims
• touches (on or upon)
• personifies
• epitomizes
• cites
• instances
• designates
• insinuates
• declares
• elucidates
• adverts

2

as in matters

to be of importance

your presence at my graduation would mean a lot to me

Synonyms & Similar Words

• matters
• weighs
• signifies
• counts
• influences
• affects
• imports
• cuts ice
• carries weight
• concerns
• amounts (to)
• adds up (to)
• sways

3

as in intends

to have in mind as a purpose or goal

I mean to win this race

Synonyms & Similar Words

• intends
• plans
• contemplates
• hopes
• purposes
• goes
• aims
• looks
• proposes
• wishes
• tries
• purports
• allows
• calculates
• aspires
• designs
• considers
• figures on
• attempts
• meditates
• dreams
• strives
• accomplishes
• achieves
• struggles
• schemes
• debates
• plots
• ponders
• performs
• effects
• executes
• endeavors
• mulls (over)

4

as in indicates

to serve as a sign or symptom of

these colder nights mean autumn has truly arrived

Synonyms & Similar Words

• indicates
• signifies
• denotes
• points (to)
• tells (of)
• betokens
• bodes
• bespeaks
• presages
• foretells
• foreshows

means

2 of 2

noun

plural of mean

1

as in measure

an action planned or taken to achieve a desired result

won the competition by fair and honest means

Synonyms & Similar Words

• measure
• step
• move
• action
• effort
• shift
• attempt
• expedient
• resource
• doing
• procedure
• act
• process
• operation
• course
• initiative
• try
• dealing
• proceeding
• activity
• success
• feat
• while
• deed
• thing
• project
• accomplishment
• attainment
• work
• endeavor
• exploit
• achievement
• coup
• triumph
• proposal
• event
• pass
• undertaking
• enterprise
• trouble
• proposition
• go
• business
• exertion
• labor
• resort
• crack
• stab
• pains
• essay
• trial
• shot
• affair
• whack
• counterstep
• stopgap
• countermeasure
• fling
• makeshift
• countermove

2

as in instrumentality

something used to achieve an end

the ends don't justify the means

Synonyms & Similar Words

• instrumentality
• instrument
• agent
• vehicle
• mechanism
• factor
• tool
• power
• incentive
• agency
• machinery
• organ
• ministry
• influence
• medium
• reason
• ingredient
• cause
• impetus
• determinant
• weapon
• catalyst
• driver
• expedient
• stimulus
• generator
• inspiration
• trigger
• antecedent
• executor
• occasion
• activator
• instigation
• mover
• instigator
• launcher
• energizer
• animator
• subagency
• subagent

3

as in wealth

the total of one's money and property

a woman of considerable means

Synonyms & Similar Words

• wealth
• assets
• things
• money
• capital
• worth
• funds
• fortune
• riches
• substance
• possessions
• wherewithal
• effects
• resources
• success
• prosperity
• savings
• opulence
• holdings
• finances
• property
• belongings
• abundance
• wallet
• acquisition
• affluence
• chattels
• paraphernalia
• personal property
• treasure
• deep pockets
• bankroll
• personalty
• treasury
• accession
• reserve
• nest egg
• valuables

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• liabilities
• debts
• indebtedness

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of means

Verb

International funding, Patil says, means long waits, complicated contracts and co-production treaties, and Indian filmmakers end up chasing the same grants as professionals from wealthier countries. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026

Russia’s constant attacks on factories, energy supply systems and the railways means that steel supply to the Ukrainian armed forces is also being degraded. — Kamal Ahmed, Fortune, 12 Oct. 2026

The look is solid, smart, elegant, hitting a summer sweet spot that means guests come back again and again. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Oct. 2026

This means they can be launched into a rough area to find potential targets without the need for specific coordinates. — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 11 Oct. 2026

The average worker is taking longer to find a new job, and that means more people are exhausting their unemployment benefits before any new paychecks begin. — Scott Horsley, NPR, 11 Oct. 2026

This essentially means who will have the best finish among these four, and Wallace, fresh off a nice run in Las Vegas, could be a compelling choice here. — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 11 Oct. 2026

Yet, despite these extraordinary advances, the brain still holds countless mysteries, with much more left to learn and discover and optogenetics has given us a powerful means to take on these challenges. — Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 5 Oct. 2026

That means training for the nonprofit workers who serve New Yorkers every day, in more languages, and staff time for groups to help their communities understand this technology deeply. — Steven Choi, New York Daily News, 4 Oct. 2026

Noun

For Lev, assessing what participants take home means asking about their behavior. — Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2026

On social media, viewers immediately marveled at Rosalía’s ability to deliver her usual powerful vocals during the first song while striking the pose — and some wondered if she was somehow being propped up through unseen means. — Chris Willman, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026

Its name, loosely translated from Latin means to have the wind at your back. — Robb Report, 9 Oct. 2026

Could that feeling of truth be arrived at via extra-factual means? — Charles Bethea, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2026

That includes properly functioning life jackets, throwable flotation devices and a ship-to-shore radio or other means of communicating in an emergency. — Gino Vicci, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026

In Fort Worth, for pitmaster Zain Shafi, barbecue was the means. — Maryam Jillani, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026

Certifying a council as fair means comparing it against every possible group of voters and every slate of candidates that group can claim. — Lyndie Chiou, Scientific American, 2 Oct. 2026

Haas said Burger King’s recent success gave him the financial means to make the acquisition. — Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 2 Oct. 2026

Phrases Containing means

• by all means
• by means of
• by no means