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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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
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Recent Examples of mean
Daniel More, Verywell Health, 2 Apr. 2025
If approved, the order will not go into effect until well after the April 15, 2025, tax deadline, which means that, at least this year, taxpayers who file on time and want a paper-check refund should still be able to get one.
—Dan Avery, CNBC, 2 Apr. 2025
Andrew Lawler, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Apr. 2025
Leveraging e-commerce platforms for storytelling means Ralph Lauren can engage with China’s wide-ranging demographics on all fronts.
—Denni Hu, Footwear News, 2 Apr. 2025
Amanda Kavanagh | This Column Was Created By Jobbio, The Hill, 28 Mar. 2025
Crockett’s nasty comment highlights Democrats’ tendency to be mean and personal in the wake of their election losses in November.
—Nicole Russell, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mean
Verb
Talk to your healthcare provider about what each of your symptoms means.
—Daniel More, Verywell Health, 2 Apr. 2025
If approved, the order will not go into effect until well after the April 15, 2025, tax deadline, which means that, at least this year, taxpayers who file on time and want a paper-check refund should still be able to get one.
—Dan Avery, CNBC, 2 Apr. 2025
Noun
The powder incident gave Henry the means to energize previously uncommitted colonists.
—Andrew Lawler, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Apr. 2025
Leveraging e-commerce platforms for storytelling means Ralph Lauren can engage with China’s wide-ranging demographics on all fronts.
—Denni Hu, Footwear News, 2 Apr. 2025
Adjective
The nonprofit sector was the only industry with below fifty on the mean boss index, at 46.08.
—Amanda Kavanagh | This Column Was Created By Jobbio, The Hill, 28 Mar. 2025
Crockett’s nasty comment highlights Democrats’ tendency to be mean and personal in the wake of their election losses in November.
—Nicole Russell, USA Today, 27 Mar. 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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Those interest rates matter, because of the frustrating math of inflation.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
3 Apr. 2025
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Support journalism that digs deeper into topics that matter most to Arkansans.—
Michael R. Wickline,
Arkansas Online,
3 Apr. 2025
Verb
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And, President Trump intends to scale back monies for state and local governments while pushing more costs on states and cities.—
Eric J. Gertler,
New York Daily News,
5 Apr. 2025
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While the Senate spending cuts are set at just around $4 billion, the House intends to cut at least $1.5 trillion.—
Claudia Grisales,
NPR,
5 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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And if his readership remained informed on his doings, the prince and his supporters didn’t succeed in silencing him and the rest of the rebellious faction.—
Emily Zarevich,
JSTOR Daily,
4 Apr. 2025
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Selena Gomez could have been the one that got away for Benny Blanco, thanks to his own doing.—
Escher Walcott,
People.com,
25 Mar. 2025
Noun
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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
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The Chinese foreign ministry denied the accusations.—
Barak Ravid,
Axios,
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 16 Apr. 2025.
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