MEAN | Meaning In The Cambridge English Dictionary
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mean verb (EXPRESS)
Add to word list Add to word list A2 [ T ] to express or represent something such as an idea, thought, or fact: What does this word mean? [ + that ] These figures mean that almost six percent of the working population is unemployed.mean by What do you mean by that remark? She's kind of strange though. Do you know what I mean? "They all showed up." "You mean the entire family?" [ T ] used to add emphasis to what you are saying: and I mean I want you home by midnight. And I mean midnight.mean it Give it back now! I mean it.- When he said three o'clock, I thought he meant in the afternoon.
- Charges are made on a sliding scale, which means that the amount you must pay increases with the level of your income.
- If you don't know what the word means, look it up in a dictionary.
- You should take it as a compliment when I fall asleep in your company - it means I'm relaxed.
- A continuous white line in the middle of the road means no overtaking.
- acceptation
- add
- add up to something phrasal verb
- backspin
- be a badge of something idiom
- i.e.
- inauspiciously
- interpretable
- locution
- locutionary
- meaning
- meaningfully
- purport
- sense
- significant
- speak
- subtext
- subtextually
- use
- what's with something? idiom
mean verb (HAVE RESULT)
B1 [ T ] to have a particular result: Lower costs mean lower prices. [ + that ] Advances in electronics mean that the technology is already available. [ + -ing verb ] If we want to catch the 7.30 train, that will mean leaving the house at 6.00.- High acidity levels in the water mean that the fish are not so large.
- Shortages mean that even staples like bread are difficult to find.
- In a way I'd prefer it if they didn't come, because it would mean extra work.
- Let's say that the journey takes three hours, that means you'll arrive at two o'clock.
- The irregularity of English spelling means that it is easy to make mistakes.
- acceptation
- add
- add up to something phrasal verb
- backspin
- be a badge of something idiom
- i.e.
- inauspiciously
- interpretable
- locution
- locutionary
- meaning
- meaningfully
- purport
- sense
- significant
- speak
- subtext
- subtextually
- use
- what's with something? idiom
mean verb (INTEND)
B1 [ I or T ] to intend: mean any harm I'm sorry if I offended you - I didn't mean any harm.be meant for The books with large print are meant for partially sighted readers. [ + to infinitive ] I've been meaning to call you all week.mean to Do you think she meant to say 9 a.m. instead of 9 p.m.?mean for someone to do something They didn't mean for her to read the letter. be meant to do sth to be intended to: These batteries are meant to last for a year. See more- I didn't mean to be rude - it just came out like that.
- He doesn't really mean it - he's just being contrary.
- He's always making flattering remarks, but he doesn't really mean them.
- I didn't mean to upset her - it was just a bit of fun.
- He didn't mean it - he said it in the heat of the moment.
- accidentally
- accidentally on purpose idiom
- advertent
- advisably
- advisedly
- allow
- cue
- fully expect someone/something to do something
- game fixing
- game something out phrasal verb
- half expect someone/something to do something
- have something in mind idiom
- muster
- presentiment
- prognosis
- programmatically
- proposed
- provide
- provide against something phrasal verb
- reckon
mean verb (HAVE IMPORTANCE)
B1 [ T ] to have an important emotional effect on someone: mean a lot, nothing, something, etc. to It wasn't a valuable picture but it meant a lot to me.mean nothing to Possessions mean nothing to him.- Her children mean all the world to her.
- Gerald means nothing to me now.
- Her career means everything to her.
- Nothing means more to me than my children's happiness.
- Her approval meant a lot to me.
- acceptation
- add
- add up to something phrasal verb
- backspin
- be a badge of something idiom
- i.e.
- inauspiciously
- interpretable
- locution
- locutionary
- meaning
- meaningfully
- purport
- sense
- significant
- speak
- subtext
- subtextually
- use
- what's with something? idiom
Grammar
MeanWe use mean to explain or ask what a word or phrase refers to. We form questions with mean with the auxiliary verb do: … I meanWe use I mean very commonly in speaking as a discourse marker. We use it when we want to add to what we have just said, to make a point clearer or to correct what we have just said: … You know what I meanWe often use the phrase you know what I mean (or if you know what I mean or do you know what I mean?) in speaking, to check that our listener understands what we are saying or to show that we assume the listener has the same opinion about something: … NounsNouns are one of the four major word classes, along with verbs, adjectives and adverbs. Nouns are the largest word class. … Be meant toBe meant to is used to talk about what is desirable, expected or intended: …Idioms
be meant for each other I mean mean business mean well (do you) see what I mean? what do you mean? meanadjective uk /miːn/ us /miːn/mean adjective (NOT GENEROUS)
B2 mainly UK not willing to give or share things, especially money: He's too mean to buy her a ring.mean with My landlord's very mean with the heating - it's only on for two hours each day. Synonyms stingy informal disapproving tight (NOT GENEROUS) informal disapproving tight-fisted informal disapproving- She's really quite unpleasant about other people and she's as mean as hell.
- He's a mean old scrooge!
- "That was amazingly generous of you!" "Well, that was a two-edged comment - are you saying I'm usually mean?"
- He's too mean to buy any new clothes.
- She only gave you 50p? That was a bit mean.
- begrudge
- cheapskate
- cheeseparing
- chintzy
- frugal
- frugally
- miser
- miserliness
- miserly
- money grabber
- money-grubber
- money-grubbing
- penuriously
- pinchpenny
- scrooge
- skinflint
- stingily
- tightwad
- ungenerous
- ungenerously
mean adjective (NOT KIND)
B2 unkind or unpleasant: mean to Stop being so mean to me! She just said it to be mean. not kind to someone or something and causing pain- cruelTeasing them for being overweight is cruel.
- callousHe had a callous disregard for the feelings of others.
- cold-bloodedThe budget is based on a cold-blooded analysis of the markets.
- ruthlessHe was a ruthless dictator.
- heartlessHe has been described as a heartless boss by several employees.
- He's as mean as they come.
- You shouldn't have been so mean to your mother - she deserves better.
- And she didn't invite him? That was a bit mean!
- Stop being so mean to your brother!
- It was mean of him to make her stay late.
- acerbic
- acerbically
- acerbity
- acidly
- anti-cruelty
- cold-hearted
- cold-heartedly
- cruel
- cruelly
- cruelty
- malignly
- meanly
- meanness
- mental cruelty
- merciless
- trenchancy
- trenchant
- trenchantly
- uncharitable
- uncharitably
mean adjective (VIOLENT)
mainly US frightening and likely to become violent: a mean and angry mob a mean-looking youth Violent or aggressive- abusively
- aggressive
- aggressively
- aggressiveness
- aggro
- drop the gloves idiom
- ferocious
- ferociously
- ferocity
- fierce
- offensively
- outrage
- proactive aggression
- pugnacious
- pugnaciously
- ungentle
- untameable
- vicious
- viciously
- viciousness
mean adjective (GOOD)
[ before noun ] informal very good: She's a mean piano player. She plays a mean piano (= she plays very well). Informal words for good- A-OK
- amazeballs
- apple pie
- awesomesauce
- badass
- dank
- insane
- juicy
- knock
- knock spots off something idiom
- like a boss idiom
- lit
- out of sight idiom
- royally
- rule OK idiom
- safe
- shabby
- shit hot
- sight
- steal
mean adjective (BAD QUALITY)
[ before noun ] informal poor, dirty, and of bad quality: He was living in a mean little hut. Not of good quality- am-dram
- appallingly
- atrocious
- atrociously
- awfulness
- cheapo
- cheesy
- inadequacy
- inadequate
- inadequately
- janky
- jerry-rig
- paltry
- shite
- shitty
- shocking
- shockingly
- skanky
- sort
- trinket
mean adjective (MATHEMATICS)
C2 [ before noun ] mathematics specialized a mean number is an average number: a mean value Their mean weight was 76.4 kilos. Statistics- actuarial
- actuary
- aggregately
- aggregative
- aggregatively
- analysis of covariance
- convenience sampling
- correction factor
- correlation coefficient
- covariance matrix
- covariate
- infant mortality rate
- interpoint
- interquartile range
- intervening variable
- intraclass correlation
- pollster
- statistician
- unweighted
- variate
You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
AveragesIdioms
no mean something no mean achievement/feat meannoun [ S ] uk /miːn/ us /miːn/mean noun [S] (MATHEMATICS)
mathematics specialized (also the arithmetic mean) the result you get by adding two or more amounts together and dividing the total by the number of amounts: the mean of The mean of 5, 4, 10, and 15 is 8.5. Compare average noun (AMOUNT) Statistics- actuarial
- actuary
- aggregately
- aggregative
- aggregatively
- analysis of covariance
- convenience sampling
- correction factor
- correlation coefficient
- covariance matrix
- covariate
- infant mortality rate
- interpoint
- interquartile range
- intervening variable
- intraclass correlation
- pollster
- statistician
- unweighted
- variate
You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Averagesmean noun [S] (METHOD)
formal a quality or way of doing something that is in the middle of two completely different qualities or ways of doing something: a mean between We need to find a mean between test questions that are too difficult and those that are too easy. Ways of achieving things- a means to an end idiom
- actively
- another
- avenue
- bases
- basis
- catch (someone) up phrasal verb
- formula
- measure
- media
- method
- methodological
- methodologically
- procedure
- sop
- standard operating procedure
- strategy
- styleless
- stylistic
- vehicle
You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Averages (Definition of mean from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)mean | American Dictionary
meanverb us /min/ past tense and past participle meant us/ment/mean verb (EXPRESS)
Add to word list Add to word list [ T ] to represent or express something intended, or to refer to someone or something: "What does ’rough’ mean?" "It means ’not smooth.’" [ + that clause ] These figures mean that almost 7% of the population is unemployed. "Do you see that girl over there?" "Do you mean the one with short blond hair?"mean verb (HAVE RESULT)
[ T ] to have as a result: Lower costs mean higher profits. [ + (that) clause ] If she doesn’t answer the phone, it means (that) she’s out in the garden.mean verb (HAVE IMPORTANCE)
[ T ] to have the importance or value of: My grandmother’s ring wasn’t valuable, but it meant a lot to me.mean verb (INTEND)
[ I/T ] to say or do something intentionally; intend: [ T ] I think she meant 8 o’clock, although she said 7 o’clock. [ I ] I’ve been meaning to call you but I’ve been so busy I never got around to it. [ I/T ] Mean can also be used to add emphasis to what you are saying: [ T ] She means what she says.Idioms
mean business mean well meannoun [ C ] us/min/mean noun [C] (AVERAGE)
mathematics a number that is the result of adding a group of numbers together and then dividing the result by how many numbers were in the group meanadjective [ -er/-est only ] us /min/mean adjective [-er/-est only] (NOT KIND)
unkind or not caring: I felt a little mean when I said I couldn’t visit her in the hospital until Saturday.mean adjective [-er/-est only] (GOOD)
slang very good: She plays a mean bass fiddle. (Definition of mean from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)mean | Business English
meannoun [ S ] uk /miːn/ us Add to word list Add to word list MEASURES (also arithmetic mean) the result you get by adding two or more amounts together and dividing the total by the number of amounts: The mean of 5, 4, 10, and 15 is 8.5. a quality or way of doing something that is in the middle of two completely different qualities or ways of doing something: a mean between sth and sth This description doesn't give enough information, and this one is too long – we need to find a mean between the two. meanverb [ T ] uk /miːn/ us present participle meant | past tense and past participle meant to express or represent something such as an idea, thought, or fact: What does this word mean?mean sth by sth What do you mean by 'rightsizing the department'? to have a particular result: Lower costs mean lower prices.mean (that) Advances in electronics mean that the technology is already available.mean doing sth If we increased our workforce, that would mean finding larger premises. meanadjective uk /miːn/ us MEASURES a mean number is the result you get by adding two or more amounts together and dividing the total by the number of amounts: The mean weight of the crates is 76.4 kilos. The table above shows the mean price per dozen of large grade A eggs. unkind: be mean to sb If she's ever mean to staff, she always apologizes afterwards. not generous: be mean with sth My boss is well known for being mean with money. (Definition of mean from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)Examples of mean
mean Mean values should, where possible, be accompanied by standard errors or similar statistical indications of variance. From the Cambridge English Corpus However, the publisher reserves the right to typeset material by conventional means if an author's disk proves unsatisfactory. From the Cambridge English Corpus This symmetry means that any of the cells in the pair can star t firing before the other. From the Cambridge English Corpus What the heroine most likely means here, is that she doesn't wish to become involved outside her chosen province of literature. From the Cambridge English Corpus Particularly troubling to us is that no means is offered for determining at what time(s) a given parameter reflects either planning or control. From the Cambridge English Corpus Order is maintained by two means: direct management of the relations of the players and indirect structuring of the terms of play. From the Cambridge English Corpus This means that at the outset, we will deal with the context of ordinary differential equations. From the Cambridge English Corpus Their restriction to shallow marine environments suggests that photosynthesis was the primary means of organic matter production for these benthic communities. From the Cambridge English Corpus Physically, this is because, on average, the mean shear causes larger separation between particle pairs so that larger eddies disperse them. From the Cambridge English Corpus On the other hand, each form has its own unique onset and rime, which means that no form benefits from phonetic consistency. From the Cambridge English Corpus This task could be carried out entirely by means of (purely) natural-scientific (naturwissenschaftlichen) methods. From the Cambridge English Corpus In the 1920s, the school was eager to distinguish itself from the government schools as a means of attracting more pupils. From the Cambridge English Corpus Observation and interviews with the children and the classroom teachers were used as a means to gather data on the potentially psychological impact of singing. From the Cambridge English Corpus Each point represents the mean values of these 2 variables measured on 2 large hooks from each of 10 protoscoleces from a single isolate. From the Cambridge English Corpus Having only one parent might have meant a household necessity of replacing the loss/absence of one parent. From the Cambridge English Corpus These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.Collocations with mean
mean
These are words often used in combination with mean.
Click on a collocation to see more examples of it.
adequate meansConsequently, the patient's current ability to cope depends, in part, on whether he achieved adequate means for adaptation when he experienced stress as a child. From the Cambridge English Corpus alternate meansThe ethics consultant stressed to the attending physician that fluids need not be administered as long as the baby is kept comfortable by alternate means. From the Cambridge English Corpus alternative meansDisarmament without providing soldiers with training, as well as help in finding alternative means of livelihood, leads to instability and internal crises. From the Cambridge English Corpus These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors. See all collocations with mean What is the pronunciation of mean? What is the pronunciation of meant?Translations of mean
in Chinese (Traditional) 表達, 意思是, 意味著… See more in Chinese (Simplified) 表达, 意思是, 意味着… See more in Spanish significa, querer decir, significar… See more in Portuguese querer dizer, significar, querer fazer algo… See more in Marathi in Japanese in Turkish in French in Catalan in Dutch in Tamil in Hindi in Gujarati in Danish in Swedish in Malay in German in Norwegian in Urdu in Ukrainian in Telugu in Bengali in Czech in Indonesian in Thai in Vietnamese in Polish in Korean in Italian म्हणजे, हवेच असणे, इच्छा असणे… See more ~を意味する, ~をもたらす, ~と(意味して)言う… See more demek, anlamına gelmek, demek istemek… See more signifier, vouloir dire, avoir l’intention de… See more significar, comportar, voler dir… See more krenterig, gemeen, kwaadaardig… See more ஒரு யோசனை, சிந்தனை அல்லது உண்மை போன்ற ஒன்றை வெளிப்படுத்த அல்லது பிரதிநிதித்துவப்படுத்த, நீங்கள் சொல்வதற்கு முக்கியத்துவம் சேர்க்க பயன்படுகிறது… See more (किसी विचार या तथ्य का) मतलब, अभिप्राय, अपने कथन पर बल देने के लिए प्रयुक्त… See more અણસાર આપવો, સૂચવવું, તમે જે કહો છો તે ભારપૂર્વક કહેવા માટે વપરાય છે.… See more nærig, fedtet, ondskabsfuld… See more snål, simpel, gemen… See more kedekut, jahat, kejam… See more knauserig, gemein, bösartig… See more bety, mene, ekkel… See more معنی ہونا, مراد ہونا, مطلب ہونا… See more скупий, скнарий, низький… See more ఆర్డము, మీరు చెప్పా దానికి ఒత్తు వేయటం, ఒక నిర్దిష్ట ఫలితాన్ని పొందు… See more অর্থ প্রকাশ করা, কোনো ভাবনা, চিন্তা বা তথ্য ব্যক্ত করা বা উপস্থাপিত করা… See more lakomý, hanebný, nečestný… See more kikir, jahat, kejam… See more ใจแคบ, ทำให้เสียหาย, อารมณ์เสีย… See more keo kiệt, có vẻ là, tầm thường… See more znaczyć, oznaczać, mieć na myśli… See more -를 의미하다, -(결과를) 의미하다, -를 의도하다… See more significare, voler dire, intendere… See more Need a translator?Get a quick, free translation!
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mealtime mealy mealy-mouthed mealybug BETA mean mean business idiom mean curvature BETA mean free path BETA mean no harm idiom {{#randomImageQuizHook.filename}} {{#randomImageQuizHook.isQuiz}} Test your vocabulary with our fun image quizzes Try a quiz now {{/randomImageQuizHook.isQuiz}} {{^randomImageQuizHook.isQuiz}} {{/randomImageQuizHook.isQuiz}} {{/randomImageQuizHook.filename}}More meanings of mean
- mean time
- golden mean
- sample mean
- geometric mean
- harmonic mean
- mean curvature
- mean streets
- mean business idiom
- mean well idiom
- I mean idiom
- you mean idiom
- be/mean nothing phrase
- no mean something idiom
- mean no harm idiom
Word of the Day
quit on someone
UK /kwɪt/ US /kwɪt/to stop supporting or being friends with someone, especially when they need your support
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- English
- Verb
- mean (EXPRESS)
- mean (HAVE RESULT)
- mean (INTEND)
- be meant to do sth
- mean (HAVE IMPORTANCE)
- Adjective
- mean (NOT GENEROUS)
- mean (NOT KIND)
- mean (VIOLENT)
- mean (GOOD)
- mean (BAD QUALITY)
- mean (MATHEMATICS)
- Noun
- mean (MATHEMATICS)
- mean (METHOD)
- Verb
- American
- Verb
- mean (EXPRESS)
- mean (HAVE RESULT)
- mean (HAVE IMPORTANCE)
- mean (INTEND)
- Noun
- mean (AVERAGE)
- Adjective
- mean (NOT KIND)
- mean (GOOD)
- Verb
- Business NounVerbAdjective
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