mean 1 of 4

verb

ˈmēn How to pronounce mean (audio)
Definition of meannext
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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4
as in to indicate
to serve as a sign or symptom of these colder nights mean autumn has truly arrived

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mean

2 of 4

adjective (1)

ˈmēn How to pronounce mean (audio)
1
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
2
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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3
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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4
as in stingy
giving or sharing as little as possible a mean child who hoarded all her toys

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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 great
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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mean

3 of 4

adjective (2)

ˈmēn How to pronounce mean (audio)
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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mean

4 of 4

noun

ˈmēn How to pronounce mean (audio)
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

Synonym Chooser

How is the word mean distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of mean are average, median, and norm. While all these words mean "something that represents a middle point," mean may be the simple average or it may represent value midway between two extremes.

a high of 70° and a low of 50° give a mean of 60°

In what contexts can average take the place of mean?

Although the words average and mean have much in common, average is the quotient obtained by dividing the sum total of a set of figures by the number of figures.

scored an average of 85 on tests

When could median be used to replace mean?

While the synonyms median and mean are close in meaning, median applies to the value that represents the point at which there are as many instances above as there are below.

average of a group of persons earning 3, 4, 5, 8, and 10 dollars an hour is 6 dollars, whereas the median is 5 dollars

When is it sensible to use norm instead of mean?

The words norm and mean can be used in similar contexts, but norm means the average of performance of a significantly large group, class, or grade.

scores about the norm for fifth grade arithmetic

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of mean
Verb
China has backed its ambitions with extensive reforms that are explicitly meant to strengthen intellectual property protections. — Andrei Iancu, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026 What this means to me on a day-by-day level is that, because of this economic and cultural diversity, New York is still the best walking city in America and perhaps the world. — Gary Shteyngart, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Oct. 2026
Adjective
For this leaner, meaner Deafheaven, stylistic variety takes a backseat to speed and chaos, and when properly executed, subtle melodic or rhythmic tweaks wield the heft of the more tectonic transitions in the band’s defining songs. — Patrick Lyons, Pitchfork, 13 Oct. 2026 There’s a wide array of options in this oddly-perfect elegant ballroom, along with a specialty chef that whips up a mean omelet before your eyes. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
Noun
Some wagers where the specific pitcher listed is not specified mean the bet has action regardless of who starts. — Outkick, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026 Since the dawn of time, the experts tell us, those who got ahead financially lived within their means, saved diligently and spent and invested carefully. — Ryan Ermey, CNBC, 15 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for mean
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mean
  1. signify
  2. matter
  3. intend
  4. indicate
  5. cruel
  6. dirty
  7. low
  8. selfish
Verb
  • Organized crime helped build up Las Vegas, and a body stuffed in a barrel was known to signify a mob killing.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • In some states, officials will mark ballots with initials signifying an election judge reviewed the ballot or a counting tally.
    — Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of signify
Verb
  • But the detail that matters most happens in a small testing room in Norwell.
    — Matt Alt, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The common concern is what matters in the scene, and where the audience should be as that part of the story unfolds.
    — Callum McLennan, Variety, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of matter
Verb
  • Project Nessie was intended to stop retail price-matching practices from creating unsustainably low prices, the e-commerce giant said.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026
  • According to people familiar with discussions about the policy, Bennett’s prior objections were a message intended for his domestic political constituency.
    — Eric Cortellessa, Time, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of intend
Verb
  • But California Institute of Technology neuroscientist Ian Anderson, who studies social media habits, says automatic behaviors can also just indicate an ingrained habit.
    — Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Pastries containing squash for which there is a poster indicating a shelf life of two days under refrigeration, were for sale and at room temperature without time-mark indicators to be discarded.
    — NWA Democrat-Gazette, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of indicate
Adjective
  • In response to legislation to end the cruelty once and for all, the Daily News once again trotted out its old and tired defense of this cruel, deadly and outdated industry.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Policing cringe is the cruelest métier of the internet—the origin of harassment campaigns and platforming of contempt.
    — Eugenie Brinkema, ARTnews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of cruel
Adjective
  • The concentration of quaternary ammonia in the bucket with sanitizer is low (<100 ppm) and the water is visibly dirty.
    — NWA Democrat-Gazette, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Many of the strongest initial applications are the dull, dirty, and dangerous tasks that go unfilled, contribute to injuries, and pull people away from higher-value judgment and exception handling.
    — Navin Chaddha, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of dirty
Adjective
  • The wide availability of low-cost, powerful open models is one reason Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has warned that open models in particular pose a risk of widespread and potentially devastating cyber attacks.
    — Emily Forlini, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
  • America's ability to compete internationally, which has become a central argument for expanding AI infrastructure, ranks much lower.
    — Will Johnson, Time, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of low
Adjective
  • Also on Weekend Update, James Austin Johnson portrayed a selfish Kevin O’Leary, the Shark Tank investor who is backing a massive data center campus in northwest Utah.
    — William Vaillancourt, Rolling Stone, 11 Oct. 2026
  • That’s also how Violet is thinking about their portrayal of Maureen, whose eccentric performance art and selfish behavior often give the character a bad rap.
    — Ellise Shafer, Variety, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of selfish

Phrases Containing mean

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mealymouthed
mean
meander
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Cite this Entry

“Mean.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mean. Accessed 22 Oct. 2026.

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