External links

# mean

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A1
**Part of speech:** verb, adj
**IPA (US):** /miːn/
**IPA (UK):** /miːn/
**Frequency rank:** 118

## Meanings
1. To have a particular meaning; to express or stand for.
2. To intend to do or say something.
3. To have something as a result; to involve.
4. Unkind, cruel, or unwilling to share.

## Examples
- What does this word mean?
- I didn't mean to hurt you.
- The water shortage means we have to stop taking long showers.
- It was mean of him to laugh at her mistake.

## Synonyms
- halfhearted
- inconsiderate
- insensitive
- intend
- mean-spirited
- merciless
- petty
- pitiless
- poor-spirited
- ruthless
- surly
- thoughtless

## Antonyms
- compassionate
- kindly
- nice

## Derived Forms
- bemean
- demean
- geomean
- mean-mouth
- mean-mug
- mean-spirited
- meanable
- meandom
- meanfem
- meanie
- meanish
- meanless

## Related Forms
- grim
- harsh
- humorless
- median
- mediate
- mediation
- mediator
- mediocre
- mediocrity
- medium
- range
- spread

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: menen
- Root: mǣnan
- Root: *mainijan
- Root: *mainijaną
- Root: *meyn-
- Root: *meyno-
- Root: *mey-

## Etymology
From Middle English menen (“to intend; remember; lament; comfort”), from Old English mǣnan (“to mean, complain”), Proto-West Germanic *mainijan, from Proto-Germanic *mainijaną (“to mean, think; complain”), from Proto-Indo-European *meyn- (“to think”), or perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *meyno-, extended form of Proto-Indo-European *mey-. Germanic cognates include West Frisian miene (“to deem, think”) (Old Frisian mēna (“to signify”)), Dutch menen (“to believe, think, mean”) (Middle Dutch menen (“to think, intend”)), German meinen (“to think, mean, believe”), Old Saxon mēnian. Indo-European co…

## AI Etymology
Mean comes from Middle English menen (“to intend; remember; lament; comfort”), from Old English mǣnan (“to mean, complain”), Proto-West Germanic *mainijan, from Proto-Germanic *mainijaną (“to mean, think; complain”), from Proto-Indo-European *meyn- (“to think”), or perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *meyno-, extended form of Proto-Indo-European *mey-. Germanic cognate forms include West Frisian miene (“to deem, think”) (Old Frisian mēna (“to signify”)), Dutch menen (“to believe, think, mean”) (Middle Dutch menen (“to think, intend”)), German meinen (“to think, mean, believe”), Old Saxon mēnian. In present-day English its meanings include to have a particular meaning; to express or stand for, to intend to do or say something, and to have something as a result; to involve.

## Topics
- Describing People

markdown

mean

Meanings

Thesaurus

Etymology

Topics

External links

Keyboard Shortcuts

General

Send feedback