Mean Definition
mean
adjective
- 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"
- characterized by malice; "a hateful thing to do"; "in a mean mood"
- 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"
- excellent; "famous for a mean backhand"
- marked by poverty befitting a beggar; "a beggarly existence in the slums"; "a mean hut"
- (used of persons or behavior) characterized by or indicative of lack of generosity; "a mean person"; "he left a miserly tip"
- (used of sums of money) so small in amount as to deserve contempt
- of no value or worth; "I was caught in the bastardly traffic"
noun
- an average of n numbers computed by adding some function of the numbers and dividing by some function of n
verb
- mean or intend to express or convey; "You never understand what I mean!"; "what do his words intend?"
- have as a logical consequence; "The water shortage means that we have to stop taking long showers"
- denote or connote; "`maison' means `house' in French"; "An example sentence would show what this word means"
- 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"
- have a specified degree of importance; "My ex-husband means nothing to me"; "Happiness means everything"
- 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!"
- destine or designate for a certain purpose; "These flowers were meant for you"
"Mean" in song lyrics
See how mean is used in real songs:
-
"I mean..."
1.4.0. Productions f/ Molly-Q, Shawn Wigs — Poisonous Poets -
"Sprinkle sugar everywhere, tell me what's it all mean?"
2 Hungry Bros. present 8thW1 — Short and Sweet -
"And have a funky good time if you know what I mean"
2 Live Crew — Drop the Bomb
Words that rhyme with mean
Usage tips for "mean"
Understanding the precise definition of a word helps you use it with confidence. When using "mean" in your writing, consider whether you need the word itself or one of its synonyms — subtle differences in meaning can change the tone of a sentence. If you're writing poetry or song lyrics, check the rhymes for mean to find words that pair well.