Meaning of mean in English | Powered by Free Dictionary API

verb

• To lament.

verb

• To intend.

• To convey (a meaning).

• To have conviction in (something said or expressed); to be sincere in (what one says).

  Example: Does she really mean what she said to him last night?

• To cause or produce (a given result); to bring about (a given result).

  Example: One faltering step means certain death.

• (usually with to) To be of some level of importance.

  Example: Formality and titles mean nothing in their circle.

adjective

• Common; general.

• Of a common or low origin, grade, or quality; common; humble.

  Example: a man of mean parentage / a mean abode

• Low in quality or degree; inferior; poor; shabby.

  Example: a mean appearance / mean dress

• Without dignity of mind; destitute of honour; low-minded; spiritless; base.

  Example: a mean motive

• Of little value or worth; worthy of little or no regard; contemptible; despicable.

• Ungenerous; stingy; tight-fisted.

  Example: 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

• Selfish; acting without consideration of others; unkind.

  Example: It was mean to steal the girl's piggy bank, but he just had to get uptown and he had no cash of his own.

• Intending to cause harm, successfully or otherwise; bearing ill will towards another

  Example: Watch out for her, she's mean. I said good morning to her, and she punched me in the nose.

• Powerful; fierce; strong

  Example: It must have been a mean typhoon that levelled this town.

• Accomplished with great skill; deft; hard to compete with.

  Example: He hits a mean backhand.

• Difficult, tricky.

  Example: This problem is mean!

noun

• (now chiefly in the plural) A method or course of action used to achieve some result.

• (in the singular) 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.

• The average of a set of values, calculated by summing them together and dividing by the number of terms; the arithmetic mean.

• 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.

• Either of the two numbers in the middle of a conventionally presented proportion, as 2 and 3 in 1:2=3:6.

adjective

• Having the mean (see noun below) as its value.

• Middling; intermediate; moderately good, tolerable.