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 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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1
as in to signify
to communicate or convey (as an idea) to the mind
the national anthem means various things to various people
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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
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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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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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2
as in careful
giving or sharing as little as possible
a mean child who hoarded all her toys
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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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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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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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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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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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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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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of mean
Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, 14 Apr. 2025
The good news is that while President Donald Trump has a higher pain threshold than most thought, there is a pain threshold, and the tariff exemption on the electronics industry means that a tech earnings collapse is far less likely.
—Bob Pisani, CNBC, 14 Apr. 2025
Matthew Aucoin, The Atlantic, 15 Apr. 2025
Many of the objectives listed above no longer make sense, or they could be met through other means.
—ArsTechnica, 14 Apr. 2025
Shelby Stewart, Essence, 8 Apr. 2025
Bike the Rio Grande Trail to Woody Creek Tavern
Consider this both an activity and restaurant recommendation: bike the Rio Grande Trail to Woody Creek Tavern, a rustic spot covered in Hunter S. Thompson memorabilia that serves a mean burger and margarita.
—Elise Taylor, Vogue, 8 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mean
Verb
Wakeful rest means just doing nothing: letting your mind relax.
—Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, 14 Apr. 2025
The good news is that while President Donald Trump has a higher pain threshold than most thought, there is a pain threshold, and the tariff exemption on the electronics industry means that a tech earnings collapse is far less likely.
—Bob Pisani, CNBC, 14 Apr. 2025
Noun
But our culture doesn’t offer many incentives to stick with notation as a primary means of creative expression.
—Matthew Aucoin, The Atlantic, 15 Apr. 2025
Many of the objectives listed above no longer make sense, or they could be met through other means.
—ArsTechnica, 14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
The truth is, the mean girl isn’t always the loudest one in the room.
—Shelby Stewart, Essence, 8 Apr. 2025
Bike the Rio Grande Trail to Woody Creek Tavern
Consider this both an activity and restaurant recommendation: bike the Rio Grande Trail to Woody Creek Tavern, a rustic spot covered in Hunter S. Thompson memorabilia that serves a mean burger and margarita.
—Elise Taylor, Vogue, 8 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mean
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mean
Verb
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The certification signifies that a company meets high social and environmental performance standards, public transparency, and legal accountability.—
Geri Stengel,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
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This level signifies that a magmatic eruption is underway and could escalate into more powerful explosions.—
Gordon G. Chang,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Harvard's choice to decline the U.S. government's demands has likely sent a decisive and positive message to all stakeholders in and out of the University about what truly matters regarding its core values.—
Dan Pontefract,
Forbes.com,
15 Apr. 2025
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No one cared whether McIlroy filled whole rooms with FedEx Cup points, as long as his last major victory remained in the amber of 2014, nothing else mattered.—
Brendan Quinn,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The resolution states that the city intends to enter into an agreement that complies with Florida law while remaining within the limits of the city’s budget.—
Verónica Egui Brito,
Miami Herald,
17 Apr. 2025
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The administration claims the cuts are intended to reduce redundancy and inefficiency.—
Catherine Blackwood,
Scientific American,
17 Apr. 2025
Verb
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As of last May, filings with the state of Texas indicated that 78% of CFP Administration LLC’s ownership was held in equal 15.6% shares by the Big Ten, ACC, SEC, Big 12 and Pac-12.—
Daniel Libit,
Sportico.com,
11 Apr. 2025
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The affidavit indicates that officials believe the name is an alias.—
Kerry Breen,
CBS News,
10 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Pretty much everything else is shuffled off to the infotainment system, a single circular touchscreen that lives in the middle of the dash.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
10 Apr. 2025
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The trial is expected to last through the middle of May, according to the court's calendar.—
Bill Chappell,
NPR,
9 Apr. 2025
Noun
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For just one example, since the Constitution sets up the Supreme Court as one of today’s major authorities, why would anyone believe that court’s justices might have jurisdiction over the doings of a constitutional revision convention that might potentially change or eliminate the court itself?—
Thomas Elias,
Mercury News,
11 Apr. 2025
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And although there are still more doings to discuss in Tanchico—the quest to discover the bracelets-n-collars is heating up!—the fact that all of these episodes are an hour long means there are so many other things to discuss.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
4 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The Chinese foreign ministry denied the accusations.—
Barak Ravid,
Axios,
9 Apr. 2025
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Newsweek has reached out to the State Department and Iran's foreign ministry for comment.—
Raja Krishnamoorthi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Apr. 2025
Noun
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If six months’ worth of living expenses seems like a lot, start off small and work your way up to your target sum gradually.—
Víctor Rosario,
Sacbee.com,
28 Mar. 2025
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Nearly a summer’s worth of rain fell on large parts of the state’s northern area in just a few days.—
Edward Szekeres and Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
28 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mean.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mean. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
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