Meaning & use
mean
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Meanings
verbtransitive or intransitive
To intend to express, refer to, or communicate a particular idea.
Grammar: Takes a noun or clause: mean something; mean that we should wait.
Patterns
- mean something
- mean that
- mean by something
- What do you mean?
What do you mean by a reasonable price?
I mean that we should leave before noon.
She meant no criticism by her question.
verbintransitive
To intend or plan to do a particular action.
Grammar: Usually followed by a to-infinitive, not a direct object: mean to call.
Patterns
- mean to do something
- did not mean to do something
I did not mean to interrupt you.
They mean to finish the report tonight.
He means well, even when his words come out badly.
verbtransitive
To indicate, signify, or be a sign of something.
Grammar: Takes an object or clause: Red means stop; this means we are late.
Patterns
- something means something
- something means that
- mean trouble or success
A red sky at night can mean fine weather is coming.
The empty chair means that he has left.
Missing the deadline could mean trouble for the whole team.
adjectivecomparabledisapproving
Deliberately unkind, unfair, or hurtful toward someone.
Grammar: Has comparative forms: a mean remark; an even meaner reply.
Patterns
- be mean to someone
- a mean comment or trick
- feel mean about something
It was mean to laugh at her mistake.
He regretted the mean things he had said.
Don't be mean to the new student.
nounsingularmathematics
The average found by adding numbers together and dividing by the count of numbers.
Grammar: Usually singular in this use; often contrasted with median and mode.
Patterns
- the mean of something
- calculate the mean
- above or below the mean
The mean of 2, 4, and 9 is 5.
The class scored above the mean on the final test.
Outliers can pull the mean away from the typical value.
Word forms
| third person singular | means |
|---|---|
| past tense | meant |
| past participle | meant |
| -ing form | meaning |
Common combinations
- mean well
- He may sound blunt, but he always means well.
- mean something to someone
- The medal means a lot to her.
- mean to do something
- We meant to visit, but the storm changed our plans.
- What do you mean?
- What do you mean when you say the data is clean?
Synonyms and how they differ
- intend
- Best for planned action or purpose, while mean is broader and also covers signification.
- signify
- More formal; focuses on being a sign, not on a speaker's intention.
- indicate
- Suggests evidence pointing to a fact, often more objective than mean.
- denote
- Formal and exact, mainly used for what words or symbols refer to.
Opposites
Word family
- meaning noun
- The idea expressed by a word, action, or event.
- meaningful adjective
- Having serious purpose or value.
- meaningless adjective
- Without clear sense or importance.
- meanness noun
- Cruel or unfair behavior.
Commonly confused: mean or meant? mean or median?
mean vs meant
Meant is the past tense and past participle of mean; mean is the base form.
mean vs median
Median is the middle value in ordered data; the mean is the average calculated by division.
Practice
Choose the best completion: I didn't ___ to keep you waiting.
Choose one answer.
After did not, use the base form mean in the infinitive phrase mean to keep. Meant is past and would not follow didn't; means and meaning cannot complete the infinitive.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “mean”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.