1. Have the intention to express or convey; have a particular sense or meaning
   "You never understand what I mean!";
   - intend
    
2. Have as a logical consequence
   "The water shortage means that we have to stop taking long showers";
   - entail, imply
    
3. Denote or connote
   "‘maison’ means ‘house’ in French"; "An example sentence would show what this word means";
   - intend, signify, stand for
    
4. Have in mind as a purpose
   "I mean no harm"; "I only meant to help you";
   - intend, think
    
5. Intend to refer to
   "Yes, I meant you when I complained about people who gossip!";
   - think of, have in mind
    
6. Destine or designate for a certain purpose
   "These flowers were meant for you"
    
7. Have a specified degree of importance
   "My ex-husband means nothing to me"; "Happiness means everything"

1. (used of persons or behaviour) characterized by or indicative of lack of generosity
   "a mean person";
   - mingy, miserly, tight
    
2. Characterized by malice
   "in a mean mood";
   - hateful
    
3. Having or showing an ignoble lack of honour or morality
   "taking a mean advantage"; "chok'd with ambition of the meaner sort";
   - base, meanspirited
    
4. Marked by poverty befitting a beggar
   "a mean hut";
   - beggarly
    
5. (used of sums of money) so small in amount as to deserve contempt
   "The mean salary was barely enough to live on";
   - beggarly
    
6. Of no value or worth
   "The mean little shack wasn't worth repairing";
   - bastardly
    
7. [informal] Of the highest quality, skill, etc.; very good or impressive
   "famous for a mean backhand";
   - ace [informal], A-one [informal], crack [informal], first-rate, super, tiptop, topnotch [informal], top-notch [informal], tops [informal], A1 [informal], top-class, gnarly [N. Amer, informal], excellent, first-class, fantabulous [informal], splendid, ripping [Brit, archaic, informal], outstanding, lush [Brit, informal], brilliant, beezer [UK, archaic], stellar [informal], awesome [informal], top-drawer, dope [N. Amer, informal], socko [N. Amer, informal], righteous [US, slang], fab [Brit, informal], crucial [slang], rad [N. Amer, slang], radical [N. Amer, slang], nang [Brit, slang], phat [slang], legit [US, slang], awesomesauce [informal], amazeballs [informal], beaut [Austral, NZ, informal], lit [US, slang], storming [Brit, informal], blinding [Brit, slang], stonking [Brit, informal], brill [Brit, informal], wicked [slang], cushty [Brit, informal], def [slang], magic [Brit, slang], smokin' [slang], smoking [slang], sick [N. Amer, slang]
    
8. (statistics) approximating the statistical norm, average or expected value
   "the mean annual rainfall";
   - average

1. (statistics) an average of n numbers computed by adding some function of the numbers and dividing by some function of n
   "The mean test score for the class was 85";
   - mean value, average

Sounds like: mealy, meamean, mien, m

Derived forms: meant, meaning, meaner, meanest

See also: awful, contemptible, ignoble, nasty, normal, poor, stingy [informal], super-duper [informal], superior, ungenerous

Type of: act, associate, colligate, connect, convey, designate, destine, inform, intend, link, link up, move, necessitate, norm, relate, represent, specify, stand for, symbol [archaic], symbolise [Brit], symbolize, tie in, typify

Encyclopedia: Mean, Michael