mean.
To intend.
Meaning & usage
To intend. To intend, to plan (to do); to have as one's intention.
I didn't mean to knock your tooth out.
I mean to go to Arévalo in Spain this summer; I’ve been meaning to tell you for weeks, but I’ve just found the time.
To intend. To have as intentions of a given kind.
Don't be angry; she meant well.
To intend. To intend (something) for a given purpose or fate; to predestine.
Actually this desk was meant for the subeditor.
Man was not meant to question such things.
To intend. To intend an ensuing comment or statement as an explanation.
Your reasoning seems needlessly abstruse, complex, and verbose for me. I mean, could you dumb it down for my sake?
To convey (a meaning). To convey (a given sense); to signify, or indicate (an object or idea).
The sky is red this morning—does that mean we're in for a storm?
To convey (a meaning). Of a word, symbol etc: to have reference to, to signify.
What does this hieroglyph mean?
To convey (a meaning). Of a person (or animal etc): to intend to express, to imply, to hint at, to allude.
I’m afraid I don’t understand what you mean.
He’s a little different, if you know what I mean.
To have conviction in (something said or expressed); to be sincere in (what one says).
Does she really mean what she said to him last night?
Say what you mean and mean what you say.
To cause or produce (a given result); to bring about (a given result).
One faltering step means certain death.
This breakthrough will mean that we spend less on electricity bills.
To be of some level of importance.
That little dog meant everything to me.
Formality and titles mean nothing in their circle.
To lament.
Where this word comes from
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.
Common; general.
Of a common or low origin, grade, or quality; common; humble.
a man of mean parentage
a mean abode
Low in quality or degree; inferior; poor; shabby.
a mean appearance
a mean dress
Without dignity of mind; destitute of honour; low-minded; spiritless; base.
You hurt her feelings - that was a mean thing to do.
It was mean of you to steal that little girl's piggy bank.
Of little value or worth; worthy of little or no regard; contemptible; despicable.
Ungenerous; stingy; tight-fisted.
He's so mean. I've never seen him spend so much as five pounds on presents for his children.
Disobliging; pettily offensive or unaccommodating.
Intending to cause harm, successfully or otherwise; bearing ill will towards another.
Watch out for her: she's mean. I said good morning to her, and she punched me in the nose.
Powerful; fierce; strong.
It must have been a mean typhoon that levelled this town.
Hearty; spicy.
Accomplished with great skill; deft; hard to compete with.
Your mother can roll a mean cigarette.
He hits a mean backhand.
Difficult, tricky.
This problem is mean!
Where this word comes from
From Middle English mene, imene, from Old English mǣne, ġemǣne (“common, public, general, universal”), from Proto-West Germanic *gamainī, from Proto-Germanic *gamainiz (“common”), from Proto-Indo-European *mey- (“to change, exchange, share”). Doublet of common. Cognate with West Frisian mien (“general, universal”), Dutch gemeen (“common, mean”), German gemein (“common, mean, nasty”), Danish gemen, Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐌼𐌰𐌹𐌽𐍃 (gamains, “common, unclean”), Latin commūnis (“shared, common, general”) (Old Latin comoinem). For a similar change in definition, see vulgar.
Having the mean as its value; average.
The mean family has 2.4 children.
Middling; intermediate; moderately good, tolerable.
Where this word comes from
From Middle English meene, borrowed from Old French meien (French moyen), Late Latin mediānus (“that is in the middle, middle”), from Latin medius (“middle”). Cognate with mid. For the musical sense, compare the cognate Italian mezzano. Doublet of median and mizzen.
A method or course of action used to achieve some result.
An intermediate step or intermediate steps.
Something which is intermediate or in the middle; an intermediate value or range of values; a medium.
The middle part of three-part polyphonic music; now specifically, the alto part in polyphonic music; an alto instrument.
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.
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. The average of a set of values, calculated by summing them together and dividing by the number of terms.
Either of the two numbers in the middle of a conventionally presented proportion, as 2 and 3 in 1:2=3:6.
Where this word comes from
From Middle English meene, borrowed from Old French meien (French moyen), Late Latin mediānus (“that is in the middle, middle”), from Latin medius (“middle”). Cognate with mid. For the musical sense, compare the cognate Italian mezzano. Doublet of median and mizzen.
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Definitions, grammatical labels, IPA, etymology and examples: Wiktionary contributors, extracted by Kaikki / Wiktextract. Adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0. Selected fields and authored examples are shown; third-party quotations and audio are omitted. See contributor history.
Last enriched 2026-09-10. Definitions are in English. Romanizations are shown when supplied by the source; syllable estimates are omitted for unsupported scripts.