mean

verb
UK: /miːn/
US: /miːn/

  1. To express or represent something such as an idea, thought, or fact.

    1. What does this word mean? [ ] [ ]
    2. His smile did not mean he was happy, it meant he was nervous. [ ] [ ]

  2. To intend to express or refer to something particular.

    1. I didn't mean to hurt you. [ ] [ ]
    2. What I mean is, we need a better strategy to avoid failures. [ ] [ ]

  3. To have as a consequence or result.

    1. Rain means no football game. [ ] [ ]
    2. This promotion will mean more responsibilities and less free time. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

cruel signify intend nasty average
mean adjective

  1. Unkind, spiteful, or unfair.

    1. Don't be mean to your brother. [ ] [ ]
    2. It was a mean thing to say to someone who is already upset. [ ] [ ]

  2. Of poor quality or appearance; shabby.

    1. They lived in a mean little house. [ ] [ ]
    2. He was too proud to accept help and lived in a mean condition. [ ] [ ]

  3. Calculated as the average.

    1. What's the mean temperature? [ ] [ ]
    2. The mean score on the test was higher than last year's. [ ] [ ]
mean noun

  1. The average of a set of numbers.

    1. The mean is easy to calculate. [ ] [ ]
    2. To find the mean, add up all the numbers and divide by how many there are. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "mean" in English means: To express or represent something such as an idea, thought, or fact., To intend to express or refer to something particular., To have as a consequence or result..

The phonetic transcription of "mean" is /miːn/ in British English and /miːn/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "mean": cruel, signify, intend, nasty, average.

Example usage of "mean": "What does this word mean?". More examples on the page.