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 cruel
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as in dirty
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as in low
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as in stingy
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as in inferior
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as in great
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as in dilapidated
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as in lame
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as in average
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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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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 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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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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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 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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of mean
Christina Wood, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026
Fuel shortages mean transporting goods is more expensive, so prices for energy, food, medicine and other basic items have also risen as supplies begin to dwindle.
—Helen Regan, CNN Money, 16 May 2026
Paula Wethington, CBS News, 8 May 2026
Those struggles, and the fact Foden’s existing deal was due to expire next summer, mean City have had to essentially make a big decision without all the facts.
—Sam Lee, New York Times, 6 May 2026
Carrie Brandon Elliot, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
Finalists are prohibited from obtaining votes by any fraudulent or inappropriate means, including, without limitation, offering prizes or other inducements to members of the public, as determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion.
—Tim McGovern, PEOPLE, 18 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for mean
Verb
This means acknowledging the crisis and acknowledging it as a crisis to allow a proper response and to leverage proper communication.
—Christina Wood, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026
Fuel shortages mean transporting goods is more expensive, so prices for energy, food, medicine and other basic items have also risen as supplies begin to dwindle.
—Helen Regan, CNN Money, 16 May 2026
Adjective
The mean travel time to work is about 24 minutes.
—Paula Wethington, CBS News, 8 May 2026
Those struggles, and the fact Foden’s existing deal was due to expire next summer, mean City have had to essentially make a big decision without all the facts.
—Sam Lee, New York Times, 6 May 2026
Noun
There was no means testing, and the payments continued even if the recipient subsequently got a job.
—Carrie Brandon Elliot, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
Finalists are prohibited from obtaining votes by any fraudulent or inappropriate means, including, without limitation, offering prizes or other inducements to members of the public, as determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion.
—Tim McGovern, PEOPLE, 18 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for mean
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mean
Verb
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The brand earned the podiatrist seal of approval, which signifies that its footwear provides adequate support on arches, toes, and ankles.—
Claire West,
PEOPLE,
18 May 2026
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Certainly there were luxe, strong visions of the wardrobe on the runway, but with hints of edge melded with signifying codes like the web, the interlock, the GG, the Flora, the bamboo, the bit and the Jackie.—
Emily Mercer,
Footwear News,
17 May 2026
Verb
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As criticism over competitive disparities intensified following the meet, pro-trans activists pushed back with the familiar argument that inclusion matters more than results, while opponents argued female athletes lose opportunities in the process.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
15 May 2026
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Luckily, summer’s biggest hair color trends are all about giving time back to you for the things that matter most (and sometimes the thing that matters most is taking a nap on the couch).—
Loren Savini,
Allure,
14 May 2026
Verb
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Prosecutors allege Saab led a yearslong scheme beginning around 2015 to defraud a humanitarian program intended to provide food to impoverished Venezuelans.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
19 May 2026
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Steven Molo, a lawyer for Musk, said in court that the legal team intends to appeal.—
David Ingram,
NBC news,
18 May 2026
Verb
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Russian media indicated that the hovercraft was built to carry no more than 10 passengers but was transporting 18 people along with heavy equipment at the time of the incident.—
Jessica Mekles,
FOXNews.com,
20 May 2026
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Last month, Miami commissioners had a closed-door attorney-client session known as a shade meeting to discuss the pension lawsuit, indicating that a potential settlement was on the horizon.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
19 May 2026
Adjective
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In Sylvie’s imagination, Nita becomes Anna, a sultry beauty with a cruel streak who has been dating the meek Christophe (Niney) while secretly engaging in an affair with their married boss, Pierre (Cassel).—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
15 May 2026
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The first major climb of any Grand Tour is usually a cruel dose of reality — where teams, having built around a rider over the previous week, suddenly realise those sacrifices might have been in vain.—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
Adjective
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How To Properly Load A Dishwasher To properly load a dishwasher for maximum cleaning power, place dishes in the dishwasher with the dirty side facing the jets, with taller items around the outside.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
19 May 2026
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Use the packing cubes to separate clean and dirty clothes for the duration of your cruise.—
Kelsey Glennon,
Travel + Leisure,
18 May 2026
Adjective
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This is especially important for low-income communities and others who rely heavily on the shot for contraception.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
15 May 2026
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Not since Oakland Hills in 2008 — Jeev Milkha Singh and Robert Karlsson at 2-under 68 — has the low score to par after the first round of the PGA Championship been worse than 3 under.—
Doug Ferguson,
Chicago Tribune,
15 May 2026
Adjective
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Fans of Pawlikowski’s style will feel coldly, cozily at home in how their emotionally stingy relationship plays out.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
14 May 2026
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Meanwhile, the Spirit own one of the stingiest defenses in the league, allowing just six goals this season, tied for the second-fewest in the NWSL.—
Fernando Ramirez,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mean.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mean. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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