mean

Meaning

Verb

1. (transitive) To intend.
2. (intransitive) To intend.
3. (passive, regional, transitive) To intend.
4. (transitive) To intend.
5. (transitive) To convey (a meaning).
6. (transitive) To convey (a meaning).
7. (transitive) To convey (a meaning).
8. (transitive) To have conviction in (something said or expressed); to be sincere in (what one says).
9. (transitive) To cause or produce (a given result); to bring about (a given result).
10. (usually) To be of some level of importance.
11. (Ireland, UK, regional) To lament.

Adj

1. (obsolete) Common; general.
2. (archaic) Of a common or low origin, grade, or quality; common; humble.
3. Low in quality or degree; inferior; poor; shabby.
4. Without dignity of mind; destitute of honour; low-minded; spiritless; base.
5. Of little value or worth; worthy of little or no regard; contemptible; despicable.
6. (UK) Ungenerous; stingy; tight-fisted.
7. Disobliging; pettily offensive or unaccommodating.
8. Intending to cause harm, successfully or otherwise; bearing ill will towards another.
9. Powerful; fierce; strong.
10. (colloquial) Hearty; spicy.
11. (colloquial) Accomplished with great skill; deft; hard to compete with.
12. (childish, informal, often) Difficult, tricky.

Adj

1. (not-comparable) Having the mean (see noun below) as its value; average.
2. (not-comparable, obsolete) Middling; intermediate; moderately good, tolerable.

Noun

1. (in-plural) A method or course of action used to achieve some result.
2. (obsolete, singular) An intermediate step or intermediate steps.
3. Something which is intermediate or in the middle; an intermediate value or range of values; a medium.
4. (historical) The middle part of three-part polyphonic music; now specifically, the alto part in polyphonic music; an alto instrument.
5. Any function of multiple variables that satisfies certain properties and yields a number representative of its arguments; or, the number so yielded; a measure of central tendency.
6. Any function of multiple variables that satisfies certain properties and yields a number representative of its arguments; or, the number so yielded; a measure of central tendency.
7. Either of the two numbers in the middle of a conventionally presented proportion, as 2 and 3 in 1:2=3:6.

Synonyms

base

average

low

stingy

vile

intend

signify

miserly

nasty

contemptible

imply

despicable

middle

bad

👎

ignoble

medium

denote

indicate

median

aim

wicked

stand for

greedy

think

🤔

wretched

miserable

shabby

inferior

represent

evil

poor

say

🗣️

rotten

dirty

cruel

humble

mean value

vulgar

worthless

abject

beggarly

purpose

have in mind

plan

sordid

foul

malicious

way

ungenerous

unkind

Translations

signifier

bedeuten

significare

significar

vouloir dire

gemein

significar

intendere

moyenne

geizig

avaro

knauserig

betekenen

beabsichtigen

bedoelen

Pronounced as (IPA)

/miːn/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: menen

Inherited from Old English: mǣnan

Cognate with Western Frisian: miene

Cognate with Old Frisian: mēna

Cognate with Dutch: menen

Cognate with Middle Dutch: menen

Cognate with German: meinen

Cognate with Old Saxon: mēnian

Cognate with Old Irish: mían

Cognate with Polish: mienić

Cognate with Finnish: mainita

Cognate with Finnish: meinata

Cognate with Estonian: mainima

Cognate with Northern Sami: máinnastit

Inherited from Middle English: meene

Cognate with French: moyen

Cognate with Italian: mezzano

In summary

From Middle English menen (“to intend; remember; lament; comfort”), from Old English mǣnan (“to mean, complain”), Proto-West Germanic *mainijan, from Proto-Germanic *mainijaną (“to mean, think; complain”), from Proto-Indo-European *meyn- (“to think”), or perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *meyno-, extended form of Proto-Indo-European *mey-.
Germanic cognates include West Frisian miene (“to deem, think”) (Old Frisian mēna (“to signify”)), Dutch menen (“to believe, think, mean”) (Middle Dutch menen (“to think, intend”)), German meinen (“to think, mean, believe”), Old Saxon mēnian. Indo-European cognates include Old Irish mían (“wish, desire”) and Polish mienić (“to signify, believe”). Non-Indo-European cognates include Finnish mainita (“to mention”), Finnish meinata (“to mean, to plan, to intend”) Estonian mainima (“to mention”), Northern Sami máinnastit (“to tell”). Related to moan.

Sentences

What do you mean by that ?

What does this mean ?

You mean spies and things like that ?

Do you mean the speech you're writing ?