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 stingy
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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 stingy
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of mean
Kristin Braswell, Travel + Leisure, 25 Oct. 2025
That means visiting every building photographed by Gaube, which in itself would be another large task.
—JSTOR Daily, 25 Oct. 2025
Greg Norman, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2025
The sheriff’s office, in what proved to be a considerable underestimate of Time’s erratic means of passage, said that the bodies had been in the house for at least a day before they were discovered.
—Joy Williams, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 21 Oct. 2025
Johnston said the inspiration behind the plot point came from wanting to address the feeling that, since the original book was published, the world has gotten meaner and crueler.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 17 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mean
Verb
Assisting guests to create memorable experiences through the years means Ali has also seen his fair share of requests that shed light on some of the biggest travel mistakes.
—Kristin Braswell, Travel + Leisure, 25 Oct. 2025
That means visiting every building photographed by Gaube, which in itself would be another large task.
—JSTOR Daily, 25 Oct. 2025
Noun
Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, of Melbourne, Florida, entered a not guilty plea Thursday to counts of destruction of property by means of fire, arson affecting property used in interstate commerce and timber set afire, according to FOX 11 Los Angeles.
—Greg Norman, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2025
The sheriff’s office, in what proved to be a considerable underestimate of Time’s erratic means of passage, said that the bodies had been in the house for at least a day before they were discovered.
—Joy Williams, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
Greg Gutfeld is a mean-spirited little man.
—Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 21 Oct. 2025
Johnston said the inspiration behind the plot point came from wanting to address the feeling that, since the original book was published, the world has gotten meaner and crueler.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 17 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mean
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mean
Verb
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Elsewhere in the Variety interview, Shakira noted that Bad Bunny's ascension signifies the rise of Spanish-language pop around the world.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
23 Oct. 2025
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And how hot would the Universe have gotten, at maximum, once inflation came to an end and the Universe became filled with matter and radiation, signifying the start of the hot Big Bang?—
Big Think,
Big Think,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Support journalism that digs deeper into topics that matter most to Arkansans.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
26 Oct. 2025
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But what matters is how such issues are addressed.—
Lisa Eadicicco,
CNN Money,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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And the project is taking advantage of a loophole in Greenlandic law intended to ban oil drilling.—
Jordan Blum,
Fortune,
22 Oct. 2025
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Smokeless tobacco is considered anything from snuff, snus, chewing tobacco, moist snuff and any other tobacco intended to be used or consumed by any means.—
Dana Afana,
Freep.com,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The quarterback might touch the $1,000 poker chip or tap his chin or touch his black chips to indicate who at the table had the best hand.—
Rob Wile,
NBC news,
24 Oct. 2025
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Reason for Wausau's closure isn't clear In the letter, a formal notification that complies with the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act of 1988, Wausau's group vice president of the snow and ice division, JP Bourque, did not indicate the reason for the company's closure.—
Jim Riccioli,
jsonline.com,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
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During the dancehall musician’s show at Scotiabank Arena Sunday night, hometown hero Drake appeared onstage to play an eight-song set in the middle of Kartel’s show.—
Tomás Mier,
Rolling Stone,
27 Oct. 2025
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The maps show the total brightness and color of stars (top), the total density of stars (middle), and the interstellar dust that fills the galaxy (bottom).—
Big Think,
Big Think,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
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That is the doing of CEO Robin Vince.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
16 Oct. 2025
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Hutch, who had taught Julia the art of visualization, had told her that the nature of anything, including cognition, was best understood in the doing.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
14 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Des Cars promised to create no-parking perimeters in areas around the museum, upgrade the security camera system, and ask the interior ministry to establish a police station inside the museum.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
23 Oct. 2025
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The money could have funded a children’s youth pastor or ministries in other countries.—
Ishani Desai,
Sacbee.com,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
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By then, Mehmet Aydın had skipped town, allegedly taking $80 million worth of investor money with him.—
Moisés Naím,
Literary Hub,
27 Oct. 2025
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That defeat provided a year’s worth of incentive.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
26 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mean.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mean. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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