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mean
(redirected from meanest)

   Also found in: Medical, Legal, Financial, Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.01 sec.
mean 1  (mn)
v. meant (mnt), mean·ing, means
v.tr.
1.
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 mnan, to tell of; see mei-no- in Indo-European roots.]

mean 2  (mn)
adj. mean·er, mean·est
1.
a. Selfish in a petty way; unkind.
b. Cruel, spiteful, or malicious.
2. Ignoble; base: a mean motive.
3. Miserly; stingy.
4.
a. Low in quality or grade; inferior.
b. Low in value or amount; paltry: paid no mean amount for the new shoes.
5. Common or poor in appearance; shabby: "The rowhouses had been darkened by the rain and looked meaner and grimmer than ever" (Anne Tyler).
6. Low in social status; of humble origins.
7. Humiliated or ashamed.
8. In poor physical condition; sick or debilitated.
9. Extremely unpleasant or disagreeable: The meanest storm in years.
10. Informal Ill-tempered.
11. 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 gemne, common; see mei-1 in Indo-European roots.]
Synonyms: mean2, low1, base2, abject, ignoble, sordid
These adjectives mean lacking in dignity or falling short of the standards befitting humans. Mean suggests pettiness, spite, or niggardliness: "Never ascribe to an opponent motives meaner than your own" (J.M. Barrie).
Something low violates standards of morality, ethics, or propriety: low cunning; a low trick.
Base suggests a contemptible, mean-spirited, or selfish lack of human decency: "that liberal obedience, without which your army would be a base rabble" (Edmund Burke).
Abject means brought low in condition: abject submission; abject poverty.
Ignoble means lacking noble qualities, such as elevated moral character: "For my part I think it a less evil that some criminals should escape than that the government should play an ignoble part" (Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.)
Sordid suggests foul, repulsive degradation: "It is through art . . . that we can shield ourselves from the sordid perils of actual existence" (Oscar Wilde).

mean 3  (mn)
n.
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 medinus, 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 either 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 generally 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.

mean1
vb means, meaning, meant (mainly tr)
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 passive; 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)
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)

mean2
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
no mean
a.  of high quality no mean performer
b.  difficult no mean feat
[from Old English gemǣne common; related to Old High German gimeini, Latin communis common, at first with no pejorative sense]
meanly  adv
meanness  n

mean3
n
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 average [2] See also geometric mean
4. (Mathematics & Measurements / 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
1. intermediate or medium in size, quantity, etc.
2. occurring halfway between extremes or limits; average See also means
[via Anglo-Norman from Old French moien, from Late Latin mediānus median]

mean  (mn)
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.
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.mean - an average of n numbers computed by adding some function of the numbers and dividing by some function of n
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
Verb1.mean - mean or intend to express or convey; "You never understand what I mean!"; "what do his words 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"
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"
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"
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!"
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"
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"
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"
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"
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"
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
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"
contemptible - deserving of contempt or scorn

mean1
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.

mean2
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
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.
7. inferior, little, limited, poor, restricted, slender, meagre, sparse, deficient a woman of mean understanding

mean3
noun
average, middle, balance, norm, median, midpoint Take a hundred and twenty values and calculate the mean.
adjective
average, middle, middling, standard, medium, normal, intermediate, median, medial the mean score for 26-year-olds
Translations
mean1 [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 trickuna jugarreta, una mala pasada
that was pretty mean of themse han portado bastante mal
you were mean to mete portaste fatal or muy mal conmigo
3. (= vicious) → malo
4. (= of poor quality) → inferior; (= shabby) → humilde, vil; (= humble) [birth] → humilde, pobre
the meanest citizenel ciudadano más humilde
obvious to the meanest intelligenceobvio para cualquiera con un mínimo de sentido común
she's no mean cookes una cocinera excelente
5. (US) → formidable, de primera
he plays a mean gamejuega estupendamente

mean2 [miːn]
A. N (= middle term) → término m medio; (= average) → promedio m (Math) → media f
the golden or happy meanel justo medio
B. ADJmedio
mean life (Phys) → vida f media

mean3 [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 Americaen 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 ussignifica mucho tenerte con nosotros
your friendship means a lot to metu amistad es muy importante or significa mucho para mí
a pound means a lot to herpara ella una libra es mucho dinero
it means a lot of expense for ussupone un gasto muy fuerte para nosotros
the name means nothing to meel nombre no me suena
the play didn't mean a thing to meno 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 1918, 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 saylo digo en serio
you can't mean it !¡no lo dirás en serio!
I mean itva en serio
2.4. (= intend) to mean to do sthpensar hacer algo
what do you mean to do?¿qué piensas hacer?
I meant to helppensaba ayudar, tenía la intención de ayudar
I mean to have itpienso or me propongo obtenerlo
he didn't mean to do itlo hizo sin querer
I mean to have you sackedvoy a encargarme de que te despidan
sorry, I didn't mean you to do itlo siento, mi intención no era que lo hicieras
I mean to be obeyedinsisto en que se me obedezca
if he means to be awkwardsi quiere complicar las cosas
I meant it as a jokelo dije en broma
was the remark meant for me?¿el comentario iba por mí?
I meant no harm by what I saidno lo dije con mala intención
he meant no offenceno tenía intención de ofender a nadie
he means welltiene buenas intenciones
3. (= suppose) → suponer
to be meant to do sth it's meant to be a good careste coche se supone que es bueno
parents are meant to love their childrense supone que los padres quieren a sus hijos
the teacher is meant to do itse supone que el profesor lo debe hacer
we were meant to arrive at eightse suponía que llegaríamos a las ocho
this picture is meant to tell a storyeste cuadro se propone contar una historia
this portrait is meant to be Anneeste retrato es de Anne, aunque no lo parezca
perhaps you weren't meant to be a vetquizá 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!

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

mean1
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 meanich kam mir richtig schäbig or gemein vor
(= base, inferior) birth, motivesniedrig; the meanest citizender Geringste unter den Bürgern (old)
(= shabby, unimpressive) shack, houseschäbig, armselig
(= vicious)bösartig; lookgehässig, hinterhältig; criminalniederträchtig, abscheulich
he is no mean playerer ist ein beachtlicher Spieler; he plays a mean game of pokerer ist ein ausgefuchster Pokerspieler (inf); that’s no mean featdiese Aufgabe ist nicht zu unterschätzen or nicht von Pappe (inf); a sportsman/politician of no mean abilityein sehr fähiger Sportler/Politiker

mean2
n (= middle term)Durchschnitt m; (Math) → Durchschnitt m, → Mittelwert m, → Mittel nt; the golden or happy meandie goldene Mitte
adjmittlere(r, s); mean sea levelNormalnull nt

mean3 pret, ptp <meant>
vt
(= 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 meder Name sagt mir nichts; it means starting all over againdas bedeutet or das heißt, dass wir wieder ganz von vorne anfangen müssen; this will mean great changesdies wird bedeutende Veränderungen zur Folge haben; a pound means a lot to herfür sie ist ein Pfund eine Menge Geld; your friendship/he means a lot to medeine Freundschaft/er bedeutet mir viel; you mean everything to medu bist alles für mich
(= intend)beabsichtigen; to mean to do somethingetw tun wollen; (= do on purpose)etw absichtlich tun; to be meant for somebody/somethingfür jdn/etw bestimmt sein; to mean somebody to do somethingwollen, dass jd etw tut; something is meant to be somethingetw soll etw sein; what do you mean to do?was wirst du tun?, was hast du vor?; I only meant to helpich wollte nur helfen; of course it hurt, I meant it to or it was meant tonatürlich tat das weh, das war Absicht; without meaning to sound rudeich möchte nicht unverschämt klingen(, aber …); I meant it as a jokedas sollte ein Witz sein; I meant you to have itdas solltest du haben; I was meant to do thatich hätte das tun sollen; you are meant to be on timedu solltest pünktlich sein; he wasn’t meant to be a leaderer war nicht zum Führer bestimmt; I thought it was meant to be hot in the southich dachte immer, dass es im Süden so heiß sei; I mean to be obeyedich verlange, dass man mir gehorcht; I mean to have itich bin fest entschlossen, es zu bekommen; this pad is meant for drawingdieser 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 youdieses 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 sayich sage das im Ernst; do you really mean it this time?ist es dir diesmal ernst or Ernst damit?
he means well/no harmer meint es gut/nicht böse; to mean well by somebodyes gut mit jdm meinen; to mean somebody no harmes 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 saidwas ich da gesagt habe, war nicht böse gemeint

mean1 [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

mean1 [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

mean2 [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

mean2 [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

mean3 [miːn]
1. n (middle term) → mezzo (Math) → media
the golden or happy mean → il giusto mezzo
see also means
2. adj (average) → medio/a

mean3 [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
adj mean [miːn]
1 not generous (with money etc) He's very mean (with his money / over pay). vrekkig وَضيع، شَحيح، بَخيل стиснат lakomý nærig; fedtet knauserig σφιχτοχέρης, μίζερος mezquino, tacaño, agarrado kitsi خسیس saita avare קַמצָן औसत osrednji, prosječan fukar kikir nískur avaro けちな 인색한 šykštus skops kedekut krenterig gjerrig, gnien skąpy avarento avar, zgârcit скупой lakomý skop škrt snål ใจแคบ cimri 吝嗇的 скупий, скнарий کنجوس keo kiệt
2 likely or intending to cause harm or annoyance It is mean to tell lies. sleg, lelik خَسيس، دَنيء зъл hanebný, nečestný ondskabsfuld gemein κακός, μικροπρεπής mezquino, malo alatu بدجنس pahansuopa méchant לְהִתְכַּווֵן साधन namjeran aljas jahat kvikindislegur maligno, cattivo 卑劣な 무례한 nedoras, žemas zemisks; negodīgs jahat gemeen gemen; dårlig gjort podły, małostkowy indigno rău, urât низкий hanebný grd zloban simpel, gemen ใจร้าย terbiyesizlik 討厭的 низький, підлий گھٹیا có vẻ là
3 (especially American) bad-tempered, vicious or cruel a mean mood. swak, slegte شِرّير، قاسٍ лош rozladěný; zlý; krutý uvenlig; ondskabsfuld; led bösartig δύστροπος, σκληρός malo, malhumorado õel بدطینت ilkeä méchant מְרוּשָׁע, רַע बुरे स्वभाव वाला neugodan alávaló kejam illskeyttur meschino 意地悪な 비열한 bjaurus, niekingas nejauks; niķīgs kejam kwaadaardig ondskapsfull złośliwy mau răutăcios злобный rozladený; zlý popadljiv loš elak, otäck อารมณ์เสีย huysuz, kötü huylu 慚愧的 поганий بدمزاج tầm thường 愧的
4 (of a house etc) of poor quality; humble a mean dwelling. eenvoudig, arm حَقير، بَسيط، فَقير бедняшки mizerný, ubohý tarvelig schäbig άθλιος, παρακατιανός humilde, pobre vilets متوسط kehno misérable עלוב खराब तरह के मकान इत्यादि malen, bijedan egyszerű buruk lélegur umile, povero みすぼらしい 초라한, 허술한 prastas, menkas nabadzīgs; pieticīgs buruk armzalig simpel, ussel, tarvelig ubogi, nędzny humilde mizerabil убогий mizerný, úbohý reven skroman torftig, eländig ทรุดโทรม yoksul, fakir 簡陋的 посередній; поганий ادنی tồi tàn 陋的
adv meanly
arm بِدَناءَه، بِخساسَه оскъдно skoupě ondskabsfuldt niedrig μίζερα, δύστροπα, άθλια de forma mezquina alatult ازروی پستی niukasti chichement בְאוֹרַח שָׁפָל, בְּאוֹפֶן עָלוּב नीचता से, पाजीपन से nisko, podlo szegényesen, szűkösen; aljasan, hitványul; zsugorian secara jahat fátæklega; smásálarlega meschinamente; avaramente 卑劣に 인색하게, 비열하게, 나쁘게, 초라하게 prastai, piktai, šykščiai skopi; zemiski; pieticīgi dengan kejam gemeen, armzalig simpelt; ondskapsfullt nędznie avaramente sărăcăcios; meschin низко; скудно skúpo skopo zlobno simpelt, torftigt, gement อย่างโหดร้าย cimrice; alçakçasına 吝嗇地 підло, низько کمینے پن سے một cách hèn hạ
n meanness
onbeskof دَناءَه، حَقارَه подлост lakota ondskabsfuldhed die Niedrigkeit μιζέρια, αθλιότητα, κακία tacañería, mezquinidad alatus پستی itaruus avarice קַמצָנוּת, נִבזוּת नीचता niskost, podlost aljasság; kicsinyesség kekikiran níska meschinità; avarizia 卑劣さ 인색함, 비열함 šykštumas skopums; zemiskums; nabadzība kekejaman krenterigheid, gemeenheid,armzaligheid ondskap; gemenhet; gjerrighet skąpstwo avareza zgârcenie; josnicie подлость; скупость lakomosť skopost zlobnost simpelhet, torftighet, gemenhet ความโหดร้าย cimrilik; alçaklık 吝嗇 підлість; скупість کمینہ پن việc hèn hạ 吝啬
n meanie
(alsomeany) (slang) a mean, bad and selfish person. onbeskofte persoon إنْسان حَقير، خَسيس، أناني лош човек hamoun, lakomec egoist der Geizkragen κακός, τσιγκούνης mala persona õeluskott خودخواه sale type אָדָם רַע, קַמצָן बुरा और स्वार्थी škrtica kicsinyes ember, egy„szenyó” orang yang rendah budinya (individuo meschino) けちな[]やつ 구두쇠 godišius zemisks cilvēks, gnīda orang yang kejam gierigaard, gemeen persoon slemming, egoist sknera, chytrus скупердяй žgrloš, vydridruch skopuh nevaljalac snåljåp, knöl คนโหดร้าย ahlâksız kimse 刻薄鬼,吝嗇鬼 причепа; нікчема کمینہ، بخیل، اوچھا آدمی anh chàng keo kiệt ,吝

mean2
adj mean [miːn]
1 (of a statistic) having the middle position between two points, quantities etc the mean value on a graph. middelmaat مُتَوَسِّط намиращ се по средата střední middel- Mittel-... μέσος mezquino, tacaño vahelmine اعتدال keskiarvo moyen מְמוּצָע कमीना srednji közepes tengah meðal-, meðaltals- medio, intermedio 中間の 중간의 vidutinis, vidurinis vidējais tengah gemiddeld middel- średni médio mediu средний stredný srednji srednji medel- ค่าเฉลี่ย orta 中間的 середній دو مقداروں یا مقاموں کے ما بین ở giữa
2 average the mean annual rainfall. gemiddelde مُعَدَّل среден průměrný gennemsnitlig durchschnittlich μέσος, κατά μέσο όρο medio keskmine میانگین keskimääräinen moyen מְמוּצָע मध्यमान, औसत prosječan átlagos rata-rata meðal-, meðaltals- medio 平均の 평균의 vidutinis vidējais purata gemiddeld middel-, gjennomsnitts- przeciętny médio medie средний priemerný povprečen prosečan i medeltal, genomsnittlig ค่าเฉลี่ย ortalama 平均的 середній اوسط trung bình 均的
n
something that is midway between two opposite ends or extremes Three is the mean of the series one to five. middelpunt مُتَوَسِّط среда střed, průměr, střední hodnota gennemsnit die Mitte ο μέσος όρος término medio keskmine میانگین keskiväli milieu מְמוּצָע पैसा sredina átlag pertengahan meðaltal, meðalgildi; milli- mezzo 中間 중간 vidurkis, vidurys vidus pertengahan gemiddelde middel(tall) średnia, środek meio-termo medie; mijloc середина stred sredina sredina medeltal, -värde, -väg ตัวกลาง ortalama (değer) 中數 середнє число; середина دو انتہاؤں کے درمیان trung độ

mean3
v mean [miːn]
1 to (intend to) express, show or indicate Vacation' means `holiday'; What do you mean by (saying/doing) that? bedoel يَعْني означавам mínit; znamenat betyde; mene meinen σημαίνω, εννοώ querer decir tähendama معنی داشتن tarkoittaa vouloir dire לְהִתכַּווֵן इंगित करना misliti, značiti jelent vmit; ért vmin berarti merkja, þÿða; eiga við, meina significare, voler dire 意味する reikšti, turėti galvoje nozīmēt bererti bedoelen, betekenen bety; mene znaczyć querer dizer a însemna; a se referi (la) подразумевать; значить mieniť; znamenať pomeniti značiti betyda, mena หมายความว่า demek, anlamına gelmek 意指 означати, мати значення ظاہر کرنا nghĩa là
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. is van plan يَعْني، يَقْصُد، يَنْوي възнамерявам zamýšlet have til hensigt; være beregnet til beabsichtigen σκοπεύω, προορίζω, είμαι αποφασισμένος να tener la intención, tener pensado kavatsema قصد داشتن aikoa avoir l'intention לְהִתכַּווֵן इरादा होना, चाहना kaniti, namjeravati szándékozik, akar bermaksud ætla (sér) intendere, avere l'intenzione di*; destinare ~するつもりである 의도하다 ketinti, norėti, skirti gribēt; būt nodomājušam; būt domātam bermaksud van plan zijn, bestemmen ha i tankene, akte zamierzać tencionar a intenţiona; a-şi pune în gând намереваться; предназначать zamýšľať nameravati nameravati ha för avsikt, ämna ตั้งใจ niyeti olmak, niyet etmek 意慾 мати намір نیت رکھنا định
n meaning
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? betekenis مَعْنى значение význam, smysl betydning; mening die Bedeutung σημασία, έννοια, νόημα sentido, significado tähendus قصد merkitys sens מַשמָעוּת मतलब namjera, značenje jelentés arti merking significato 意味 의미 reikšmė, prasmė nozīme, jēga maksud betekenis betydning; hensikt znaczenie sentido sens значение význam pomen značenje betydelse, mening ความหมาย anlam, mana 意義 значення کسی لفظ کے معنی ý nghĩa
adj
(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. betekenisvolle ذو مَغْزى многозначителен významný sigende bedeutsam όλο σημασία significativo tähendusrikas معنی دار merkitsevä éloquent בַּעַל מַשמָעוּת विसर्पी značajan kifejező berarti þÿðingarmikill significativo, eloquente 意味ありげな 의미 심장한 reikšmingas zīmīgs, izteiksmīgs bermakna veelbetekenend megetsigende znaczący significativo elocvent многозначительный; выразительный významný pomenljiv značajan menande สิ่งที่ตั้งใจจะพูดหรือบอก anlamlı 有含意的 багатозначний; значущий کچھ ظاہر کرنے کے انداز میں có ý nghĩa
adj meaningful
(often used loosely) important in some way a meaningful statement/relationship. betekenisvolle ذو معْنى، ذو أهَميَّه важен mající význam, smysl betydningsfuld bedeutungsvoll σημαντικός, που έχει νόημα significativo tähendusrikas پرمعنی merkityksellinen significatif מַשמָעוּתִי अर्थपूर्ण smislen sokat mondó penting þÿðingarmikill, mikilvægur significativo 意味のある 의미 있는 reikšmingas, prasmingas svarīgs, nozīmīgs bermakna belangrijk betydningsfull; meningsfull, relevant znaczący, istotny significativo semnificativ; im­por­tant полный значения majúci význam pomemben značajan meningsfull, betydelsefull ซึ่งมีความหมาย anlamlı, manalı 富有意義的 багатозначний اہم đầy ý nghĩa
adj meaningless
without meaning or reason; of no importance meaningless chatter. betekenislose بِدون مَعْنى، لا مَعْنى له безсмислен nesmyslný meningsløs bedeutungslos άσκοπος, που δεν έχει νόημα sin sentido mõttetu بی معنی merkityksetön dénué de sens חֲסַר מַשׁמָעוּת अर्थहीन beznačajan értelmetlen tak berarti merkingarlaus insignificante, senza senso 無意味な 무의미한 nereikšmingas, beprasmis nenozīmīgs tanpa maksud zinloos meningsløs; intetsigende, betydningsløs bez znaczenia sem sentido fără sens бессмысленный nezmyselný nepomemben beznačajan meningslös, betydelselös ซึ่งไร้ความหมาย anlamsız 無意義的 безглуздий بے معنی vô nghĩa
be meant to
to be required or supposed; to have to The child is meant to be asleep! is veronderstel om مَطلوب مِنْه، مُفْتَرَض أن предполага се být míněn, určen, považován; mít burde; skulle bestimmt sein zu υποτίθεται ότι suponer, deber, tener que peaks به نظررسیدن pitäisi être censé אָמוּר לִהיוֹת आवश्यक होना vjerojatno (elvben) ... kell harus vera talinn; eiga að vera dovere ~しなければならない …하기로 되어 있다 turėti būt domātam/paredzētam harus verondersteld worden burde, skulle mieć dever a tre­bui să должен был mieniť, zamýšľať biti namenjen trebalo bi det är meningen att ... มีความหมายต่อ zorunda olmak 必須作(某事) передбачатися متوقع ہونا cần
mean well
to have good intentions He meant well by what he said. het goeie bedoelings يَكون لَه قَصْدٌ جيِّد ، لَه نِيَّه حَسَنَه добронамерен съм myslit to dobře mene det godt wohlgesinnt sein έχω καλές προθέσεις, κάνω κτ. καλοπροαίρετα tener buenas intenciones head mõtlema تصور خوبی داشتن tarkoittaa hyvää avoir de bonnes intentions בַּעַל כַּווָנוֹת טוֹבוֹת आशा के अनुरूप कहना, परन्तु सहायता न करना dobronamjerno jót akar beritikad baik vilja vel avere buone intenzioni 悪意はない 호의를 가지다 linkėti gera gribēt/vēlēt labu bermaksud baik iets goed bedoelen mene (noe) godt chcieć dobrze ter boas intençOes a fi bine intenţionat иметь добрые намерения myslieť to dobre dobro misliti imati dobre namere mena väl ตั้งใจในทางที่ดี iyi niyetli olmak 懷有好意 мати добрі наміри اچھی نیت ہونا có ý định tốt 怀

mean حقير, يَقْصِد lakomý, mínit betyde, ond geizig, meinen εννοώ, μοχθηρός mezquino, significar pihi, tarkoittaa méchant, signifier škrt, značiti meschino, significare けちな, 意味する 뜻하다, 인색한 gemeen, menen bety, gjerrig oznaczyć, skąpy mesquinho, significar означать, убогий elak, mena ค่าเฉลี่ย, หมายความว่า eli sıkı, kastetmek bần tiện, muốn nói 吝啬的, 意谓


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