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 malice
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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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Example Sentences
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Phrases Containing
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Entries Near
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Related Articles
1
as in to signify
to communicate or convey (as an idea) to the mind
the national anthem means various things to various people
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in careful
giving or sharing as little as possible
a mean child who hoarded all her toys
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in malice
the desire to cause pain for the satisfaction of doing harm
nothing more than unprovoked meanness drove him to smash the child's toy
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of mean
Susan Mallie, CBS News, 26 Apr. 2025
Twice a day, smoke rises from the chimney above the Sistine Chapel, signaling the outcome of each vote: black smoke means no decision has been made, while white smoke signals that a new pope has been elected.
—Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 26 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
Despite a sentence that will likely mean spending the rest of her life in prison, Melody remains determined to prove her innocence.
—Susan Mallie, CBS News, 26 Apr. 2025
Twice a day, smoke rises from the chimney above the Sistine Chapel, signaling the outcome of each vote: black smoke means no decision has been made, while white smoke signals that a new pope has been elected.
—Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 26 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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During the era of the former Prince Regent, colour was used as a status symbol and the decadent colour scheme employed by his interior designers– from opulent gold to aristocratic purple–was a status symbol used by the aristocracy to signify wealth and good taste.—
Lee Sharrock,
Forbes.com,
24 Apr. 2025
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An all-women Blue Origin spaceflight signifies only that several women have amassed the social capital to be friends with Lauren Sánchez.—
Amanda Hess,
New York Times,
14 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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How did the water tower come down? Crews had intended for the water tower, built in 1913 at 524 S. Osage St., to fall into an open plot of grass to the north, but the first attempt failed.—
Robert A. Cronkleton,
Kansas City Star,
17 Apr. 2025
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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
Verb
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McFarland claimed 2,000 tickets were available for the festival, but shared permits indicated that only space for 250 people had been obtained.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2025
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Initial findings indicate that all victims were employees of J&B Malunggay Bakery and were residing in the premises.—
Becca Longmire,
People.com,
24 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The business leaders’ statement implies that the region might be in danger of losing one or both teams, but neither has threatened to leave the Kansas City area.—
Mike Hendricks,
Kansas City Star,
14 Apr. 2025
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Gentry implied that the growth sprang largely from American unexpectedly adding flights, which the airport is contractually obliged to accommodate, The Ledger reported.—
Ted Reed,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
Verb
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That result weighed heavily on the players and coach Cathy Reese.—
Edward Lee,
Baltimore Sun,
23 Apr. 2025
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After waking up his wife in the middle of the night to take him to the emergency room, Carroll weighed himself.—
Gretchen Eichenberg,
FOXNews.com,
23 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The new vehicle is also planned for eventual production in China and Europe, Reuters has previously reported.—
Abhirup Roy,
USA Today,
20 Apr. 2025
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Local clubs planned their yearly budgets around when their members could work the concession stands.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
20 Apr. 2025
Verb
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This configuration denotes a GMT-Master (or II) with a steel case, a brown or black dial, a gold bezel, a two-tone bezel insert in brown and gold, a gold crown, and a matching, two-tone bracelet.—
Oren Hartov,
Robb Report,
28 Mar. 2025
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Although there are no universal definitions for organizational culture, the term usually denotes the formal and informal behaviors or actions that are typically rewarded and sanctioned in a company.—
Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic,
Forbes,
19 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mean.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mean. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
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