mean

intend: What do you mean?; signify, indicate, imply; malicious: a mean bully

Not to be confused with:

mien – a person’s look or bearing: a woman of regal mien

mean¹

(mēn)

v. meant (mĕnt), mean·ing, means

v.tr.

a. To be used to convey; denote: "'The question is,' said Alice, 'whether you can make words mean so many different things'" (Lewis Carroll).

b. To act as a symbol of; signify or represent: In this poem, the budding flower means youth.

2. To intend to convey or indicate: "No one means all he says, and yet very few say all they mean, for words are slippery and thought is viscous" (Henry Adams).

3. To have as a purpose or an intention; intend: I meant to go running this morning, but I overslept.

4. To design, intend, or destine for a certain purpose or end: a building that was meant for storage; a student who was meant to be a scientist.

5. To have as a consequence; bring about: Friction means heat.

6. To have the importance or value of: The opinions of the critics meant nothing to him. She meant so much to me.

v.intr.

To have intentions of a specified kind; be disposed: They mean well but lack tact.

Idiom:

mean business Informal

To be in earnest.

[Middle English menen, from Old English mǣnan, to tell of; see mei-no- in Indo-European roots.]

mean²

(mēn)

adj. mean·er, mean·est

a. Lacking in kindness; unkind: The teacher was not being mean in asking you to be quiet.

b. Cruel, spiteful, or malicious: a mean boy who liked to make fun of others.

c. Expressing spite or malice: gave me a mean look.

d. Tending toward or characterized by cruelty or violence: mean streets.

e. Extremely unpleasant or disagreeable: the meanest storm in years.

2. Ignoble; base: a mean motive. See Synonyms at base².

3. Miserly; stingy: mean with money.

a. Low in value, rank, or social status: "I preferred the condition of the meanest reptile to my own" (Frederick Douglass).

b. Common or poor in appearance; shabby: "The rowhouses had been darkened by the rain and looked meaner and grimmer than ever" (Anne Tyler).

5. Slang

a. Hard to cope with; difficult or troublesome: He throws a mean fast ball.

b. Excellent; skillful: She plays a mean game of bridge.

[Middle English, from Old English gemǣne, common; see mei- in Indo-European roots.]

mean′ness n.

mean³

(mēn)

1. Something having a position, quality, or condition midway between extremes; a medium.

2. Mathematics

a. A number that typifies a set of numbers, such as a geometric mean or an arithmetic mean.

b. The average value of a set of numbers.

3. Logic The middle term in a syllogism.

4. means(used with a sing. or pl. verb) A method, a course of action, or an instrument by which an act can be accomplished or an end achieved.

5. means(used with a pl. verb)

a. Money, property, or other wealth: You ought to live within your means.

b. Great wealth: a woman of means.

adj.

1. Occupying a middle or intermediate position between two extremes.

2. Intermediate in size, extent, quality, time, or degree; medium.

Idioms:

by all means

Without fail; certainly.

by any means

In any way possible; to any extent: not by any means an easy opponent.

by means of

With the use of; owing to: They succeeded by means of patience and sacrifice.

by no means

In no sense; certainly not: This remark by no means should be taken lightly.

[Middle English mene, middle, from Old French meien, from Latin mediānus, from medius; see medhyo- in Indo-European roots.]

Usage Note: In the sense of "financial resources" means takes a plural verb: His means are more than adequate. In the sense of "a way to an end," means may be treated as a singular or plural. It is singular when referring to a particular strategy or method: The best means of securing the cooperation of the builders is to appeal to their self-interest. It is plural when it refers to a group of strategies or methods: The most effective means for dealing with the drug problem have often been those suggested by the affected communities. · Means is most often followed by of: a means of noise reduction. But for, to, and toward are also used: a means for transmitting sound; a means to an end; a means toward achieving equality.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

mean

(miːn)

vb (mainly tr) , means, meaning or meant

1. (may take a clause as object or an infinitive) to intend to convey or express

2. (may take a clause as object or an infinitive) intend: she didn't mean to hurt it.

3. (may take a clause as object) to say or do in all seriousness: the boss means what he says about strikes.

4. (often foll by: for) to destine or design (for a certain person or purpose): she was meant for greater things.

5. (may take a clause as object) to denote or connote; signify; represent: examples help show exactly what a word means.

6. (may take a clause as object) to produce; cause: the weather will mean long traffic delays.

7. (may take a clause as object) to foretell; portend: those dark clouds mean rain.

8. to have the importance of: money means nothing to him.

9. (intr) to have the intention of behaving or acting (esp in the phrases mean well or mean ill)

10. mean business to be in earnest

[Old English mænan; compare Old Saxon mēnian to intend, Dutch meenen]

Usage: In standard English, mean should not be followed by for when expressing intention: I didn't mean this to happen (not I didn't mean for this to happen)

mean

(miːn)

adj

1. chiefly Brit miserly, ungenerous, or petty

2. humble, obscure, or lowly: he rose from mean origins to high office.

3. despicable, ignoble, or callous: a mean action.

4. poor or shabby: mean clothing; a mean abode.

5. informal chiefly US and Canadian bad-tempered; vicious

6. informal ashamed: he felt mean about not letting the children go to the zoo.

7. informal chiefly US unwell; in low spirits

8. slang excellent; skilful: he plays a mean trombone.

9. no mean

a. of high quality: no mean performer.

b. difficult: no mean feat.

[C12: from Old English gemǣne common; related to Old High German gimeini, Latin communis common, at first with no pejorative sense]

ˈmeanly adv

ˈmeanness n

mean

(miːn)

1. the middle point, state, or course between limits or extremes

2. moderation

3. (Mathematics) maths

a. the second and third terms of a proportion, as b and c in a/b = c/d

b. another name for average² See also geometric mean

4. (Statistics) statistics a statistic obtained by multiplying each possible value of a variable by its probability and then taking the sum or integral over the range of the variable

adj

5. intermediate or medium in size, quantity, etc

6. occurring halfway between extremes or limits; average

[C14: via Anglo-Norman from Old French moien, from Late Latin mediānus median]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

mean¹

(min)

v. meant, mean•ing. v.t.

1. to have in mind as one's purpose or intention; intend.

2. to intend for a particular destiny: They were meant for each other.

3. to intend to express or indicate: What do you mean by “perfect” ?

4. to have as its sense or signification; signify.

5. to bring, cause, or produce as a result: Prosperity means peace.

6. to have the value of: Money means everything to them.

v.i.

7. to have specified intentions: We meant well.

[before 900; Middle English menen, Old English mǣnan, c. Old Frisian mēna, Old Saxon mēnian, Old High German meinen]

mean²

(min)

adj. -er, -est.

1. uncharitable; malicious: a mean remark.

2. small-minded; ignoble: mean motives.

3. stingy; miserly.

4. inferior in quality or character.

5. low in status: mean servitors.

6. bad-tempered: a mean horse.

7. excellent; topnotch: plays a mean game of tennis.

[before 900; variant of imene, Old English gemǣne common, inferior, c. Old Frisian mēne, Old High German gimeini, Gothic gamains; compare common]

mean′ness, n.

mean³

(min)

n.

1. Usu., means. (used with a sing. or pl. v.) an agency, instrument, or method used to attain an end.

2. means,

a. available resources, esp. money.

b. considerable financial resources: a person of means.

3. something midway between two extremes.

a. a quantity having a value intermediate between the values of other quantities; an average, esp. the arithmetic mean.

b. either the second or third term in a proportion of four terms.

5. the middle term in a syllogism.

adj.

6. occupying a middle position or intermediate place.

Idioms:

1. by all means, certainly.

2. by any means, in any way; at all.

3. by means of, by the agency of; through.

4. by no means, not at all.

[1300–50; Middle English mene < Anglo-French, Old French meen, variant of meien < Latin mediānus; see median]

mean

(mēn)

1. A number or quantity having a value that is intermediate between other numbers or quantities, especially an arithmetic mean or average. See more at arithmetic mean.

2. Either the second or third term of a proportion of four terms. In the proportion ²/₃ = ⁴/₆ , the means are 3 and 4. Compare extreme.

The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

mean

The past tense and -ed participle of the verb mean is meant /ment/.

You use mean when you are talking or asking about the meaning of a word or expression.

What does 'imperialism' mean?

'Pandemonium' means 'the place of all devils'.

Be Careful!
You must use the auxiliary verb does in questions like these. Don't say, for example, 'What means 'imperialism'?'

You can use mean with an -ing form to say what an attitude or type of behaviour involves.

Healthy living means being physically and mentally healthy.

I've got to do the right thing, even if it means taking a risk.

What someone means is what they are referring to or intend to say.

That friend of Sami's was there. Do you know the one I mean?

I thought you meant that you wanted some more to eat.

Be Careful!
Don't use 'mean' to talk about what people think or believe. Don't say, for example, 'Most people mean he should resign'. Say 'Most people think he should resign'.

I think a woman has as much right to work as a man.

Most scientists believe that climate change is caused by human activity.

In conversation, you can use 'I mean' to explain or correct something that you have just said.

So what happens now? With your job, I mean.

I don't want to go. I mean, I want to, but I can't.

Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012

mean

Past participle: meant
Gerund: meaning

Imperative
mean
mean

Present
I mean
you mean
he/she/it means
we mean
you mean
they mean

Preterite
I meant
you meant
he/she/it meant
we meant
you meant
they meant

Present Continuous
I am meaning
you are meaning
he/she/it is meaning
we are meaning
you are meaning
they are meaning

Present Perfect
I have meant
you have meant
he/she/it has meant
we have meant
you have meant
they have meant

Past Continuous
I was meaning
you were meaning
he/she/it was meaning
we were meaning
you were meaning
they were meaning

Past Perfect
I had meant
you had meant
he/she/it had meant
we had meant
you had meant
they had meant

Future
I will mean
you will mean
he/she/it will mean
we will mean
you will mean
they will mean

Future Perfect
I will have meant
you will have meant
he/she/it will have meant
we will have meant
you will have meant
they will have meant

Future Continuous
I will be meaning
you will be meaning
he/she/it will be meaning
we will be meaning
you will be meaning
they will be meaning

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been meaning
you have been meaning
he/she/it has been meaning
we have been meaning
you have been meaning
they have been meaning

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been meaning
you will have been meaning
he/she/it will have been meaning
we will have been meaning
you will have been meaning
they will have been meaning

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been meaning
you had been meaning
he/she/it had been meaning
we had been meaning
you had been meaning
they had been meaning

Conditional
I would mean
you would mean
he/she/it would mean
we would mean
you would mean
they would mean

Past Conditional
I would have meant
you would have meant
he/she/it would have meant
we would have meant
you would have meant
they would have meant

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun	1.	mean - an average of n numbers computed by adding some function of the numbers and dividing by some function of n mean value statistics - a branch of applied mathematics concerned with the collection and interpretation of quantitative data and the use of probability theory to estimate population parameters average, norm - a statistic describing the location of a distribution; "it set the norm for American homes" arithmetic mean, expected value, first moment, expectation - the sum of the values of a random variable divided by the number of values geometric mean - the mean of n numbers expressed as the n-th root of their product harmonic mean - the mean of n numbers expressed as the reciprocal of the arithmetic mean of the reciprocals of the numbers
Verb	1.	mean - mean or intend to express or convey; "You never understand what I mean!"; "what do his words intend?" intend stand for, symbolize, typify, symbolise, represent - express indirectly by an image, form, or model; be a symbol; "What does the Statue of Liberty symbolize?" convey - make known; pass on, of information; "She conveyed the message to me" signify - convey or express a meaning; "These words mean nothing to me!"; "What does his strange behavior signify?" spell, import - indicate or signify; "I'm afraid this spells trouble!" aim - direct (a remark) toward an intended goal; "She wanted to aim a pun" aim, drive, get - move into a desired direction of discourse; "What are you driving at?"
	2.	mean - have as a logical consequence; "The water shortage means that we have to stop taking long showers" entail, imply necessitate - cause to be a concomitant
	3.	mean - denote or connote; "`maison' means `house' in French"; "An example sentence would show what this word means" signify, stand for, intend denote, refer - have as a meaning; "`multi-' denotes `many' " signify - convey or express a meaning; "These words mean nothing to me!"; "What does his strange behavior signify?"
	4.	mean - have in mind as a purpose; "I mean no harm"; "I only meant to help you"; "She didn't think to harm me"; "We thought to return early that night" intend, think design - intend or have as a purpose; "She designed to go far in the world of business" be after, plan - have the will and intention to carry out some action; "He plans to be in graduate school next year"; "The rebels had planned turmoil and confusion" purpose, purport, aim, propose - propose or intend; "I aim to arrive at noon"
	5.	mean - have a specified degree of importance; "My ex-husband means nothing to me"; "Happiness means everything"
	6.	mean - intend to refer to; "I'm thinking of good food when I talk about France"; "Yes, I meant you when I complained about people who gossip!" have in mind, think of associate, colligate, link, relate, tie in, connect, link up - make a logical or causal connection; "I cannot connect these two pieces of evidence in my mind"; "colligate these facts"; "I cannot relate these events at all" cite, mention, refer, advert, name, bring up - make reference to; "His name was mentioned in connection with the invention"
	7.	mean - destine or designate for a certain purpose; "These flowers were meant for you" destine, intend, designate, specify - design or destine; "She was intended to become the director"
Adj.	1.	mean - approximating the statistical norm or average or expected value; "the average income in New England is below that of the nation"; "of average height for his age"; "the mean annual rainfall" average statistics - a branch of applied mathematics concerned with the collection and interpretation of quantitative data and the use of probability theory to estimate population parameters normal - conforming with or constituting a norm or standard or level or type or social norm; not abnormal; "serve wine at normal room temperature"; "normal diplomatic relations"; "normal working hours"; "normal word order"; "normal curiosity"; "the normal course of events"
	2.	mean - characterized by malice; "a hateful thing to do"; "in a mean mood" hateful nasty, awful - offensive or even (of persons) malicious; "in a nasty mood"; "a nasty accident"; "a nasty shock"; "a nasty smell"; "a nasty trick to pull"; "Will he say nasty things at my funeral?"- Ezra Pound
	3.	mean - having or showing an ignoble lack of honor or morality; "that liberal obedience without which your army would be a base rabble"- Edmund Burke; "taking a mean advantage"; "chok'd with ambition of the meaner sort"- Shakespeare; "something essentially vulgar and meanspirited in politics" meanspirited, base ignoble - completely lacking nobility in character or quality or purpose; "something cowardly and ignoble in his attitude"; "I think it a less evil that some criminals should escape than that the government should play an ignoble part"- Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
	4.	mean - excellent; "famous for a mean backhand" jargon, lingo, patois, argot, vernacular, slang, cant - a characteristic language of a particular group (as among thieves); "they don't speak our lingo" skilled - having or showing or requiring special skill; "only the most skilled gymnasts make an Olympic team"; "a skilled surgeon has many years of training and experience"; "a skilled reconstruction of her damaged elbow"; "a skilled trade"
	5.	mean - marked by poverty befitting a beggar; "a beggarly existence in the slums"; "a mean hut" beggarly poor - characterized by or indicating poverty; "the country had a poor economy"; "they lived in the poor section of town"
	6.	mean - (used of persons or behavior) characterized by or indicative of lack of generosity; "a mean person"; "he left a miserly tip" mingy, miserly, tight stingy, ungenerous - unwilling to spend; "she practices economy without being stingy"; "an ungenerous response to the appeal for funds"
	7.	mean - (used of sums of money) so small in amount as to deserve contempt beggarly stingy, ungenerous - unwilling to spend; "she practices economy without being stingy"; "an ungenerous response to the appeal for funds"
	8.	mean - of no value or worth; "I was caught in the bastardly traffic" bastardly contemptible - deserving of contempt or scorn

mean

verb

1. signify, say, suggest, indicate, represent, express, stand for, convey, spell out, purport, symbolize, denote, connote, betoken The red signal means that you can shoot.

2. imply, suggest, intend, indicate, refer to, intimate, get at (informal), hint at, have in mind, drive at (informal), allude to, insinuate What do you think he means by that?

3. presage, promise, herald, foreshadow, augur, foretell, portend, betoken, adumbrate An enlarged prostate does not necessarily mean cancer.

4. result in, cause, produce, effect, lead to, involve, bring about, give rise to, entail, engender, necessitate Trade and product discounts can mean big savings.

5. intend, want, plan, expect, design, aim, wish, think, propose, purpose, desire, set out, contemplate, aspire, have plans, have in mind I didn't mean to hurt you.

6. destine, make, design, suit, fate, predestine, preordain He said that we were meant to be together.

7. matter, be significant, have significance, have importance It doesn't sound much, but it means a lot to me.

mean

adjective

1. miserly, stingy, parsimonious, niggardly, close (informal), near (informal), tight, selfish, beggarly, mercenary, skimpy, penny-pinching, ungenerous, penurious, tight-fisted, tight-arsed (taboo slang), mingy (Brit. informal), tight-assed (U.S. taboo slang), snoep (S. African informal), tight as a duck's arse (taboo slang) Don't be mean with the fabric, or the curtains will end up looking skimpy.
miserly generous, prodigal, altruistic, bountiful, unselfish, munificent

2. dishonourable, base, petty, degraded, disgraceful, shameful, shabby, vile, degenerate, callous, sordid, abject, despicable, narrow-minded, contemptible, wretched, scurvy, ignoble, hard-hearted, scungy (Austral. & N.Z.), low-minded Upstaging the bride was a particularly mean trick.
dishonourable good, honourable, praiseworthy

3. malicious, hostile, nasty, sour, unpleasant, rude, unfriendly, bad-tempered, disagreeable, churlish, ill-tempered, cantankerous The prison officer described him as the meanest man he'd ever met.
malicious kind, liberal, gentle, sympathetic, humane, compassionate, warm-hearted

4. shabby, poor, miserable, run-down, beggarly, seedy, scruffy, sordid, paltry, squalid, tawdry, low-rent (informal, chiefly U.S.), contemptible, wretched, down-at-heel, grungy (slang, chiefly U.S.), scuzzy (slang, chiefly U.S.) He was raised in the mean streets of the central market district.
shabby pleasing, excellent, attractive, superb, choice, superior, first-rate, de luxe

5. excellent, great (informal), outstanding, superb, bad (informal), fine, masterly, wonderful, brilliant (Brit. informal), smashing (informal), tremendous (informal), ace (informal), magnificent, neat (U.S. informal), fabulous (informal), first-class, marvellous, exceptional, terrific (informal), formidable, sensational (informal), awesome (informal), skilful, A1 (informal), virtuoso, super (informal), wicked (informal), first-rate, bonzer (Austral. informal), badass (U.S. informal) She plays a mean game of tennis.

6. lowly, low, common, ordinary, modest, base, obscure, humble, inferior, vulgar, menial, proletarian, undistinguished, servile, ignoble, plebeian, lowborn, baseborn (archaic) southern opportunists of mean origins
lowly high, important, princely, significant, noble, consequential

7. inferior, little, limited, poor, restricted, slender, meagre, sparse, deficient a woman of mean understanding

mean

noun

1. average, middle, balance, norm, median, midpoint Take a hundred and twenty values and calculate the mean.

adjective

1. average, middle, middling, standard, medium, normal, intermediate, median, medial the mean score for 26-year-olds

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

mean¹

verb

1. To have or convey a particular idea:

connote, denote, import, intend, signify, spell.

Idiom: add up to.

2. To have in mind as a goal or purpose:

aim, contemplate, design, intend, plan, project, propose, purpose, target.

Regional: mind.

mean²

adjective

1. Characterized by intense ill will or spite:

black, despiteful, evil, hateful, malevolent, malicious, malign, malignant, nasty, poisonous, spiteful, venomous, vicious, wicked.

Slang: bitchy.

2. Having or proceeding from low moral standards:

base, ignoble, low, low-down, sordid, squalid, vile.

3. Ungenerously or pettily reluctant to spend money:

cheap, close, close-fisted, costive, hard-fisted, miserly, niggard, niggardly, parsimonious, penny-pinching, penurious, petty, pinching, stingy, tight, tightfisted.

4. Of low or lower quality:

common, inferior, low-grade, low-quality, mediocre, second-class, second-rate, shabby, substandard.

5. Of little distinction:

humble, lowly, simple.

6. Lacking high station or birth:

baseborn, common, déclassé, declassed, humble, ignoble, lowly, plebeian, unwashed, vulgar.

Archaic: base.

7. Affected or tending to be affected with minor health problems:

ailing, indisposed, low, off-color, rocky, sickly.

Idiom: under the weather.

8. So objectionable as to elicit despisal or deserve condemnation:

abhorrent, abominable, antipathetic, contemptible, despicable, despisable, detestable, disgusting, filthy, foul, infamous, loathsome, lousy, low, nasty, nefarious, obnoxious, odious, repugnant, rotten, shabby, vile, wretched.

9. Informal. Having or showing a bad temper:

bad-tempered, cantankerous, crabbed, cranky, cross, disagreeable, fretful, grouchy, grumpy, ill-tempered, irascible, irritable, nasty, peevish, petulant, querulous, snappish, snappy, surly, testy, ugly, waspish.

Informal: crabby.

Idiom: out of sorts.

10. Slang. Hard to treat, manage, or cope with:

troublesome, wicked.

Informal: pesky.

mean³

noun

1. Something, as a type, number, quantity, or degree, that represents a midpoint between extremes on a scale of valuation:

average, median, medium, norm, par.

2. That by which something is accomplished or some end achieved.Used in plural:

agency, agent, instrument, instrumentality, instrumentation, intermediary, mechanism, medium, organ.

3. All things, such as money, property, or goods, having economic value.Used in plural:

asset (used in plural), capital, fortune, resource (used in plural), wealth, wherewithal.

adjective

Not extreme:

central, intermediate, medial, median, mid, middle, middle-of-the-road, midway.

Translations

حَقِيرٌحَقير، بَسيط، فَقيرخَسيس، دَنيءشِرّير، قاسٍلا يـَمْزَحُ

znamenatzamýšletzlýaritmetický průměrchtít

betydemenemiddel-nærigond

gemein meinen durchschnittlich beabsichtigen bedeuten

εννοώ θέλω κακός μέση μέσο

meza

mezquino malo significar tacaño pretender

aikoailkeätarkoittaakeski-keskiarvo

méchant signifier vouloir dire moyen moyenne

התכוון

mislitinamjeravatizločestznačiti

jelent

ætlaillskeytturkvikindislegurlélegurmeîal-, meîaltals-

significare medio intendere media mezzo

けちなわざと･･･する意味する本気で言う

~을 뜻하다~을 의도하다뜻하다인색한

būt domātambūt nodomājušamgribētnabadzīgsnegodīgs

bedoelen betekenen gemeen menen laag

bety dårlig gjort gjerrig gnien mene

chcieć oznaczać oznaczyć robić coś celowo skąpy

significar tencionar falar sério mau média

avea intenţiagândivrea

означать значить иметь ввиду мелкий неприглядный

hudobennameravatipomenitiskop

elakmenatänkauselgemen

ใจร้ายตั้งใจมีเจตนาหมายความว่า

cimridemekeli sıkı fakir gerçeği söylemek

bần tiệncó nghĩacố ýmuốn nói

吝啬的打算简陋的要发怒的要发狂的

mean

¹ [miːn] ADJ (meaner (compar) (meanest (superl)))

1. (= stingy) → tacaño, agarrado, amarrete (Andes, S. Cone)
you mean thing! → ¡qué tacaño eres!

2. (= nasty) → malo
don't be mean! → ¡no seas malo!
you mean thing! → ¡qué malo eres!
a mean trick → una jugarreta, una mala pasada
that was pretty mean of them → se han portado bastante mal
you were mean to me → te portaste fatal or muy mal conmigo

3. (= vicious) → malo

4. (= of poor quality) → inferior; (= shabby) → humilde, vil; (= humble) [birth] → humilde, pobre
the meanest citizen → el ciudadano más humilde
obvious to the meanest intelligence → obvio para cualquiera con un mínimo de sentido común
she's no mean cook → es una cocinera excelente

5. (US) → formidable, de primera
he plays a mean game → juega estupendamente

mean

² [miːn]

A. N (= middle term) → término m medio; (= average) → promedio m (Math) → media f
the golden or happy mean → el justo medio

B. ADJ → medio
mean life (Phys) → vida f media

mean

³ [miːn] (meant (pt, pp)) VT

1. [word, sign] (= signify) → significar, querer decir
what does this word mean? → ¿qué significa or quiere decir esta palabra?
"vest" means something different in America → en América "vest" tiene otro significado or significa otra cosa
you know what it means to hit a policeman? → ¿usted sabe qué consecuencias trae el golpear a un policía?
what do you mean by that? → ¿qué quieres decir con eso?
it means a lot to have you with us → significa mucho tenerte con nosotros
your friendship means a lot to me → tu amistad es muy importante or significa mucho para mí
a pound means a lot to her → para ella una libra es mucho dinero
it means a lot of expense for us → supone un gasto muy fuerte para nosotros
the name means nothing to me → el nombre no me suena
the play didn't mean a thing to me → no saqué nada en claro de la obra
see also know A4

2. [person]

2.1. (= imply) → querer decir; (= refer to) → referirse a
what do you mean? → ¿qué quieres decir?
18, I mean 19 → 18, digo 19
do you mean me? → ¿te refieres a mí?

2.2. (= signify) → significar
don't I mean anything to you? → ¿no significo yo nada para ti?

2.3. (= be determined about) I mean what I say → lo digo en serio
you can't mean it ! → ¡no lo dirás en serio!
I mean it → va en serio

2.4. (= intend) to mean to do sth → pensar hacer algo
what do you mean to do? → ¿qué piensas hacer?
I meant to help → pensaba ayudar, tenía la intención de ayudar
I mean to have it → pienso or me propongo obtenerlo
he didn't mean to do it → lo hizo sin querer
I mean to have you sacked → voy a encargarme de que te despidan
sorry, I didn't mean you to do it → lo siento, mi intención no era que lo hicieras tú
I mean to be obeyed → insisto en que se me obedezca
if he means to be awkward → si quiere complicar las cosas
I meant it as a joke → lo dije en broma
was the remark meant for me? → ¿el comentario iba por mí?
I meant no harm by what I said → no lo dije con mala intención
he meant no offence → no tenía intención de ofender a nadie
he means well → tiene buenas intenciones

3. (= suppose) → suponer
to be meant to do sth it's meant to be a good car → este coche se supone que es bueno
parents are meant to love their children → se supone que los padres quieren a sus hijos
the teacher is meant to do it → se supone que el profesor lo debe hacer
we were meant to arrive at eight → se suponía que llegaríamos a las ocho
this picture is meant to tell a story → este cuadro se propone contar una historia
this portrait is meant to be Anne → este retrato es de Anne, aunque no lo parezca
perhaps you weren't meant to be a vet → quizá lo tuyo no sea la veterinaria
I wasn't meant to work for my living! → ¡yo no estoy hecho para trabajar!
you're not meant to drink it! → ¡no es para beber!

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

mean

[ˈmiːn]

adj

(= stingy) → avare, radin(e)
He's too mean to buy Christmas presents → Il est trop avare pour acheter des cadeaux de Noël., Il est trop radin pour acheter des cadeaux de Noël.
to be mean with sth (= ungenerous) → être radin(e) avec qch
Don't be mean with the tip, he's so nice → Ne sois pas radin avec le pourboire, il est si gentil.
to be mean with money → être près de ses sous
He's really mean with money → Il est vraiment près de ses sous.

[portion] → maigre
a rather mean portion of apple tart → une part de tarte aux pommes plutôt maigre

(= unkind) [person] → méchant(e); [action] → méchant(e)
That was a mean thing to do → C'était méchant de faire ça.
That's a really mean thing to say! → C'est vraiment méchant de dire ça!
to be mean to sb → être méchant(e) avec qn
You're being mean to me → Tu es méchant avec moi.
She apologized for being so mean to him → Elle s'excusa pour s'être montrée méchante avec lui.

(US) [animal] → méchant(e)

(US) (= nasty) [person] → méchant

(= average) → moyen(ne)

(= inconsiderable) to be no mean task → ne pas être une mince affaire, ne pas être chose facile
Such a remoulding of his image has been no mean task → Un tel remodelage de son image n'a pas été chose facile., Un tel remodelage de son image n'a pas été une mince affaire.
to be no mean achievement → ne pas être un mince exploit
To have paid the debt in just four years is no mean achievement → Avoir remboursé la dette en seulement quatre ans n'est pas un mince exploit.

(= untalented)
He's no mean pianist → Ce n'est pas un pianoteur., Ce n'est pas un petit pianiste.

(= good) → méchamment bon (bonne)
He cooks a mean salmon → Il fait un saumon méchamment bon.
to play a mean guitar → jouer de la guitare méchamment bien
to play a mean game of tennis → jouer au tennis méchamment bien

(= poor) (literary) → méchant(e)

vt [meant] [ˈmɛnt] (pt, pp)

[word] (= signify) → vouloir dire
What does "complet" mean? → Qu'est-ce que ça veut dire "complet"?, Que veut dire "complet"?
What does "imperialism" mean? → Qu'est-ce que ça veut dire "impérialisme"?, Que veut dire "impérialisme"?
In modern Welsh, "glas" means "blue" → En gallois moderne "glas" veut dire "bleu".
I don't know what it means → Je ne sais pas ce que ça veut dire.

[speaker, writer] → vouloir dire
What do you mean? → Qu'est-ce que vous voulez dire?, Que voulez-vous dire?
That's not what I meant → Ce n'est pas ce que je voulais dire.
which one do you mean? → duquel veux-tu parler?
to mean sth by sth
What do you think he means by that? → Que pensez-vous qu'il veuille dire par là?
... I mean (clarifying)
It was his idea - Gordon's, I mean → C'était son idée. Celle de Gordon, je veux dire.
He studied law and French - I mean law and German → Il a étudié le droit et le français. Le droit et l'allemand, je veux dire.

(= be sincere) to mean sth → penser vraiment qch
"Maybe we could move." - "Oh, do you mean it, Christopher?" → "Peut-être devrions-nous déménager." - "Oh, tu le penses vraiment Christopher?", "Peut-être devrions-nous déménager." - "Oh, tu es sérieux Christopher?"
I mean what I say → je pense vraiment ce que je dis, je suis sérieux/euse
He could see I meant what I said → Il voyait bien que je pensais vraiment ce que je disais., Il voyait bien que j'étais sérieux.
do you really mean it? → tu penses vraiment ce que tu dis?, tu es sérieux/euse?
Does he really mean it when he says he's sorry? → Est-ce qu'il le pense vraiment lorsqu'il dit qu'il est désolé?

[sign, signal] → vouloir dire

(= have as consequence) → vouloir dire
This means I'll have to start again → Cela veut dire que je vais devoir recommencer.
Becoming a millionaire didn't mean an end to his money worries → Devenir un millionnaire ne voulait pas dire la fin de ses problèmes d'argent.

(= intend) to mean to do sth → vouloir faire qch
I didn't mean to offend you → Je ne voulais pas vous offenser.
I have been meaning to write this letter for some time now → Je voulais t'écrire cette lettre depuis un petit moment déjà.
I meant to phone you but I forgot → Je voulais vous téléphoner mais j'ai oublié.

(emotionally) to mean a lot to sb (= be important to) → compter beaucoup pour qn
That watch means a lot to me → Cette montre compte beaucoup pour moi. (= bring great happiness to) → vouloir dire beaucoup pour qn
to know what sth means → savoir ce que qch veut dire
I know what it means to lose a child → Je sais ce que ça veut dire de perdre un enfant.

vi
to mean well (= have kind intentions) → vouloir bien faire
She means well → Elle veut bien faire.

n (= average) → moyenne f

mean

adj (+er)

(esp Brit: = miserly) → geizig, knauserig; don’t be mean! → sei doch nicht so geizig or knauserig!; you mean thing! → du Geizhals or Geizkragen!

(= unkind, spiteful) → gemein; don’t be mean! → sei nicht so gemein or fies! (inf); you mean thing! → du gemeines or fieses Stück! (inf), → du Miststück! (inf); it made me feel mean → ich kam mir richtig schäbig or gemein vor

(= base, inferior) birth, motives → niedrig; the meanest citizen → der Geringste unter den Bürgern (old)

(= shabby, unimpressive) shack, house → schäbig, armselig

(= vicious) → bösartig; look → gehässig, hinterhältig; criminal → niederträchtig, abscheulich

he is no mean player → er ist ein beachtlicher Spieler; he plays a mean game of poker → er ist ein ausgefuchster Pokerspieler (inf); that’s no mean feat → diese Aufgabe ist nicht zu unterschätzen or nicht von Pappe (inf); a sportsman/politician of no mean ability → ein sehr fähiger Sportler/Politiker

mean

n (= middle term) → Durchschnitt m; (Math) → Durchschnitt m, → Mittelwert m, → Mittel nt; the golden or happy mean → die goldene Mitte

adj → mittlere(r, s); mean sea level → Normalnull nt

mean

³ pret, ptp <meant>

(= signify) → bedeuten; (person: = refer to, have in mind) → meinen; what do you mean by that? → was willst du damit sagen?; the name means nothing to me → der Name sagt mir nichts; it means starting all over again → das bedeutet or das heißt, dass wir wieder ganz von vorne anfangen müssen; this will mean great changes → dies wird bedeutende Veränderungen zur Folge haben; a pound means a lot to her → für sie ist ein Pfund eine Menge Geld; your friendship/he means a lot to me → deine Freundschaft/er bedeutet mir viel; you mean everything to me → du bist alles für mich

(= intend) → beabsichtigen; to mean to do something → etw tun wollen; (= do on purpose) → etw absichtlich tun; to be meant for somebody/something → für jdn/etw bestimmt sein; to mean somebody to do something → wollen, dass jd etw tut; something is meant to be something → etw soll etw sein; what do you mean to do? → was wirst du tun?, was hast du vor?; I only meant to help → ich wollte nur helfen; of course it hurt, I meant it to or it was meant to → natürlich tat das weh, das war Absicht; without meaning to sound rude → ich möchte nicht unverschämt klingen(, aber …); I meant it as a joke → das sollte ein Witz sein; I meant you to have it → das solltest du haben; I was meant to do that → ich hätte das tun sollen; you are meant to be on time → du solltest pünktlich sein; he wasn’t meant to be a leader → er war nicht zum Führer bestimmt; I thought it was meant to be hot in the south → ich dachte immer, dass es im Süden so heiß sei; I mean to be obeyed → ich verlange, dass man mir gehorcht; I mean to have it → ich bin fest entschlossen, es zu bekommen; this pad is meant for drawing → dieser Block ist zum Zeichnen gedacht or da (inf); if he means to be awkward … → wenn er vorhat, Schwierigkeiten zu machen …; this present was meant for you → dieses Geschenk sollte für dich sein or war für dich gedacht ? business

(= be serious about) → ernst meinen; I mean it! → das ist mein Ernst!, ich meine das ernst!; do you mean to say you’re not coming? → willst du damit sagen or soll das heißen, dass du nicht kommst?; I mean what I say → ich sage das im Ernst; do you really mean it this time? → ist es dir diesmal ernst or Ernst damit?

he means well/no harm → er meint es gut/nicht böse; to mean well by somebody → es gut mit jdm meinen; to mean somebody no harm → es gut mit jdm meinen, jdm nichts Böses wollen; (physically) → jdm nichts tun; (in past tense) → jdm nichts tun wollen; I meant no harm by what I said → was ich da gesagt habe, war nicht böse gemeint

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

mean

¹ [miːn] (meant (pt, pp)) vt

a. (signify) → significare, voler dire
what does that word mean? → che significa quella parola?
what do you mean by that? → cosa vuoi dire con questo?
you don't mean that, do you? → non parli sul serio, vero?
do you really mean it? → dici sul serio?
he said it as if he meant it → l'ha detto senza scherzare or sul serio
I mean what I say → parlo sul serio
it means a lot of expense for us → per noi questo vuol dire una grossa spesa
the play didn't mean a thing to me → la commedia non mi ha detto niente
her name means nothing to me → il suo nome non mi dice niente
your friendship means a lot to me → la tua amicizia è molto importante per me
he means nothing to me → non conta niente per me

b. (intend) → intendere
to mean to do sth → aver l'intenzione di fare qc, intendere fare qc
to be meant for → essere destinato/a a
I meant it for her → era destinato a lei
I meant it as a joke → volevo solo scherzare
what do you mean to do? → cosa intendi fare?, cosa pensi di fare?
he didn't mean to do it → non intendeva or non era sua intenzione farlo
do you mean me? (are you speaking to me?) → dici a me? (about me) → ti riferisci a me?
was that remark meant for me? → quell'osservazione era diretta a me?
Roberta is meant to do it → è Roberta che lo deve fare
I mean to be obeyed → intendo essere ubbidito
he means well → le sue intenzioni sono buone

mean

² [miːn] adj (-er (comp) (-est (superl)))

a. (with money) → avaro/a, spilorcio/a, gretto/a
mean with → avaro/a con

b. (unkind, spiteful) → meschino/a, maligno/a
a mean trick → uno scherzo ignobile
you mean thing! (fam) → che meschino!
it made me feel mean → mi ha fatto sentire un verme

c. (Am) (vicious, animal) → cattivo/a; (person) → perfido/a

d. (poor, appearance, district) → misero/a
she's no mean cook → è una cuoca tutt'altro che disprezzabile

mean

³ [miːn]

1. n (middle term) → mezzo (Math) → media
the golden or happy mean → il giusto mezzo
see also means

2. adj (average) → medio/a

mean¹

(miːn) adjective

1. not generous (with money etc). He's very mean (with his money / over pay).

2. likely or intending to cause harm or annoyance. It is mean to tell lies.

3. (especially American) bad-tempered, vicious or cruel. a mean mood.

4. (of a house etc) of poor quality; humble. a mean dwelling.

ˈmeanly adverb

ˈmeanness noun

meanie noun

(also meany) (slang) a mean, bad and selfish person.

mean²

(miːn) adjective

1. (of a statistic) having the middle position between two points, quantities etc. the mean value on a graph.

2. average. the mean annual rainfall.

noun

something that is midway between two opposite ends or extremes. Three is the mean of the series one to five.

mean³

(miːn) – past tense, past participle meant (ment) – verb

1. to (intend to) express, show or indicate. `Vacation' means `holiday'; What do you mean by (saying/doing) that?

2. to intend. I meant to go to the exhibition but forgot; For whom was that letter meant?; He means (= is determined) to be a rich man some day.

ˈmeaning noun

the sense in which a statement, action, word etc is (intended to be) understood. What is the meaning of this phrase?; What is the meaning of his behaviour?

adjective

(of a look, glance etc) showing a certain feeling or giving a certain message. The teacher gave the boy a meaning look when he arrived late.

ˈmeaningful adjective

(often used loosely) important in some way. a meaningful statement/relationship.

ˈmeaningless adjective

without meaning or reason; of no importance. meaningless chatter.

be meant to

to be required or supposed; to have to. The child is meant to be asleep!

mean well

to have good intentions. He meant well by what he said.

mean

→ حَقِيرٌ, لا يـَمْزَحُ, يَعْنِي, يَقْصِدُ myslet vážně, zamýšlet, zlý, znamenat betyde, med vilje, mene, ond geizig, meinen, wollen εννοώ, θέλω, μοχθηρός malo, mezquino, querer, querer decir, significar aikoa, ilkeä, tarkoittaa avoir la ferme intention de, méchant, ne pas plaisanter, signifier misliti, namjeravati, zločest, značiti avere l'intenzione di, fare sul serio, meschino, significare けちな, わざと･･･する, 意味する, 本気で言う ~을 뜻하다, ~을 의도하다, 뜻하다, 인색한 bedoelen, betekenen, gemeen, menen bety, gjerrig, mene oznaczać, oznaczyć, robić coś celowo, skąpy falar sério, mesquinho, querer, querer dizer, significar, tencionar иметь ввиду, означать, убогий, хотеть elak, mena ใจร้าย, ตั้งใจ, มีเจตนา, หมายความว่า eli sıkı, gerçeği söylemek, kastetmek, yapmak istemek bần tiện, có nghĩa, cố ý, muốn nói 吝啬的, 对…认真, 意谓, 打算

mean

n. media, índice, término medio;

___ corpuscular hemoglobin → índice corpuscular de hemoglobina

a. malo-a, desconsiderado-a, de mal humor.

What does this mean? → ماذا يَعْني هَذا؟ → Co tohle znamená? → Hvad betyder det? → Was bedeutet das? → Τι σημαίνει αυτό; → ¿Qué quiere decir esto? → Mitä tämä tarkoittaa? → Qu'est-ce que ça veut dire ? → Što to znači? → Cosa vuol dire? → 무슨 뜻인가요? → Wat betekent dit? → Hva betyr dette? → Co to znaczy? → O que significa isto? → Что это значит? → Vad betyder det här? → Bu ne demek? → Cái này nghĩa là gì? → 这是什么意思？

mean

adj (math) medio; (cruel) cruel; n media, promedio

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