mean

Word family  noun meaning adjective meaningful meaningless verb mean adverb meaningfully

 Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++朗文当代英语 5++LDOCE 5++朗文 5++ldoce_732_zmean1 /miːn/ ●●● S1 W1 verb [transitive] (past tense and past participle meant /ment/)  1  have a particular meaning 有某种意思MEANING to have or represent a particular meaning 意思是，表示…的意思 What does ‘patronizing’ mean? patronizing是什么意思？ The red light means ‘Stop’. 红灯表示“停”。 The report fails to define what is meant by the term ‘key issues’. 报告没有明确“关键问题”一词指的是什么。mean (that) This light means you’re running low on fuel. 这个灯亮说明汽油不多了。 RegisterIn written English, people often prefer to say that something indicates something is the case, rather than using mean: 在书面英语中，人们往往更喜欢用indicate而不用meanThe light indicates that fuel supplies are low. 这个灯亮说明汽油不多了。2  intend to say STH 打算说某事MEANING to intend a particular meaning when you say something 意思是说mean (that) I meant we’d have to leave early – that’s all. 我的意思是说我们必须早点走——没有别的。 It’s pretty obvious what she means. 她是什么意思很明白。(do) you mean spoken (=used to check you have understood what someone intended to say) 你的意思是说 Do you mean you’ve changed or Chris has changed? 你是说你变了还是克里斯变了？do/if you know/see what I mean? spoken (=used to check that someone understands you) 你明白我的意思吧？ I want to buy her something really special, if you know what I mean. 我想给她买一件很特别的东西，你明白我的意思吧。 We’re still married but living apart in the same house, if you see what I mean. 我们仍是夫妻，但在同一个房子里分开住，你懂我的意思了吧。 Oh yeah! I see what you mean (=I understand what you are trying to say). 噢！我明白你的意思。 What I mean is, I don’t feel alone anymore (=used to explain more about what you have said). 我的意思是我不再感到孤单了。 ‘I didn’t really like him.’ 'I know what you mean, I didn’t get on with him either (=used to say you understand and have had the same experience). “我不太喜欢他。”“我知道你的意思，我和他也合不来。” ‘In three hours’ time, I’ll be a free man.‘ ’How do you mean (=used to ask someone to explain what they have just said)?' “三个小时以后，我就是自由人了。”“你什么意思？”3  intend to do STH 打算做某事INTEND to intend to do something or intend that someone else should do something 意欲，打算mean to do something I’ve been meaning to ask you if you want to come for a meal next week. 我一直想问你，下个星期你想不想来吃顿饭。 I didn’t mean to upset you. 我并不是要让你伤心。mean somebody/something to do something I didn’t mean this to happen at all. 我并不想发生这样的事。 I never meant you to find out. 我根本不想让你发现。mean for somebody to do something especially American English I didn’t mean for her to get hurt. 我并没有让她受到伤害的意思。 I’m sure she didn’t mean it (=she did not intend to upset or hurt someone). 我肯定她不是故意的。mean no harm/offence/disrespect (=not intend to harm, offend etc someone) 并不想伤害/冒犯/不恭敬 I’m sure he didn’t mean any harm. 我确信他没有恶意。 He may sound a bit rude at times, but he means well (=intends to be helpful or kind, even if it does not seem like that). 他讲话有时也许是粗鲁了一点，但用意是好的。 I wasn’t criticizing you, I really meant it for the best (=wanted to be helpful, although my actions had the wrong effect). 我不是在批评你，我真的是出于好意。4  result in STH 导致某事RESULT to have a particular result or involve something 产生…结果；意味着 The merger will mean the closure of the company’s Sydney office. 合并意味着公司的悉尼办事处要关闭。 Don’t let him see you. It will only mean trouble. 别让他看见你。那只会造成麻烦。mean (that) The high cost of housing means that many young people can’t afford to buy a house. 房价高意味着很多年轻人买不起房子。mean doing something My new job will mean travelling all over the world. 我的新工作需要在世界各地到处跑。 Dieting also means being careful about which foods you buy. 节食还意味着买什么样的食物也需讲究。5  be familiar 熟识 if a name, word etc means something to you, you are familiar with it or you understand it 〔对某个名字、词语等〕十分熟识，能理解 He said his name was ‘Randall’ but it meant nothing to me (=I was not familiar with it). 他说他的名字叫兰德尔，但我一点印象也没有。 Does the name Bryce mean anything to you? 你还记得布赖斯这个名字吗？ You need to use analogies which will mean something to the reader. 你要用读者能够理解的比喻。6  say STH seriously 严肃地说某事SERIOUS/NOT JOKING to be serious about what you are saying or writing 当真，说到做到 With children, if you say ‘no’, you have to mean it. 对待孩子，你如果说“不行”，就要说到做到。 I meant what I said earlier. 我刚才说的话是算数的。 You don’t really mean that, do you? 你不会真的要那样，对吗？7  how important SB/STH is 某人/某事有多重要 used for saying how important someone or something is to you 重要，意义重大mean something to somebody I know how much your work means to you. 我知道你的工作对你有多重要。 The medal meant a lot to him. 那枚奖章对他意义重大。mean the world to somebody/mean everything to somebody (=be very important to someone) 对某人来说意味着一切 He meant the world to her. 他就是她的一切。 Time meant nothing (=it was not important) to me while I was travelling. 旅行时，时间对我就不重要了。 Of course the relationship meant something to me. 当然这种关系对我还是挺重要的。8  show STH is true/will happen 表明某事真实/会发生TRUE to be a sign that something is true or will happen 表示；预示mean (that) Finding a lump does not necessarily mean you have cancer. 发现有肿块并不一定就意味着得了癌症。 Clear skies mean that it will be a cold night. 天空晴朗无云说明晚间会冷。 Just because he’s been in prison, it doesn’t mean that he’s violent. 进过监狱并不能说明他就很暴力。 SPOKEN PHRASES9  what do you mean ...? a) UNDERSTANDused when you do not understand what someone is trying to say 你是什么意思？〔用于表示没有听懂某人说的话〕 ‘You’ll be careful won’t you?’ ‘What do you mean?’ “你会小心的，是吧？”“你是什么意思？” b) SURPRISEDused when you are very surprised or annoyed by what someone has just said 你是什么意思？〔用于表示对某人刚说过的话感到非常吃惊或不快〕 What do you mean, you’ve cancelled the trip? 你什么意思，你把这次旅行取消了？ What do you mean by that? 你那么说是什么意思？ c) used when you are very annoyed by what someone has just done 你是什么意思〔用于表示某人的做法让你非常生气〕 What do you mean by calling me at this time of night? 你这么晚打电话给我是什么意思？10  say which person/thing 说的是哪个人/物ESPECIALLY used to say that a particular person or thing is the one that you are talking about, pointing to etc 意指，说的是 ‘Hey you!’ ‘Do you mean me?’ “嗨，你！”“你说的是我吗？” I meant the pink dress, not the red one. 我指的是那条粉红色的裙子，不是那条红的。11  I mean a) EXPLAINused when explaining or giving an example of something, or when pausing to think about what you are going to say next 我的意思是〔用于解释或举例，或停下来考虑接着说什么时〕 You’re more of an expert than me. I mean, you’ve got all that experience. 你比我更专业，我是说，你有那么丰富的经验。 It’s just not right. I mean, it’s unfair isn’t it? 这就是不对。我是说这不公平，你说呢？ b) CORRECTused to quickly correct something you have just said 我是说〔用以马上纠正刚说过的话〕 She plays the violin, I mean the viola, really well. 她小提琴——我是说中提琴——拉得确实好。12  see what I mean? used when something that happens proves what you said before 我说得没错吧？〔表示发生的事恰好证实了你先前说过的话〕 See what I mean? Every time she calls me up she wants me to do something for her. 我说得没错吧？她每次给我打电话都是要我给她办事。13  that’s what I mean MEANINGused when someone is saying the same thing that you were trying to say earlier 我就是这个意思〔用于表示某人说的话正是你刚才想说的〕 ‘We might not have enough money.’ ‘That’s what I mean, so we’d better find out the price first.’ “我们也许钱不够。”“我也是这个意思，所以我们最好先弄清楚价钱。”14  I mean to say EXPLAINused when adding a reason or explanation for something you have just said, especially something you feel strongly about 我意思是说〔用以对自己刚刚说的话补充理由或解释，尤其是对有强烈看法的事情〕 Of course she wants to see the children – I mean to say, it’s only natural isn’t it? 她当然是想见孩子的，我的意思是说，这不过是人之常情，对吧？15  mean business DETERMINEDto be determined to do something 是认真的 This decision shows the public that we mean business. 这个决定向公众表明我们是认真的。16  be meant to do something a) SHOULD/OUGHT TOif you are meant to do something, you should do it, especially because someone has told you to or because you are responsible for it 〔尤因某人的吩咐或根据职责〕应该[必须]做某事 Come on, Ellen, you’re meant to be helping me. 好了，埃伦，你是应该帮助我的。 I thought the police were meant to protect people. 我以为警察就是要保护人民的。 b) PURPOSEto be intended to do something 意在[旨在]做某事 The diagram is meant to show the different stages of the process. 这个图表意在显示整个过程的各个不同阶段。17  be meant to be good/excellent/bad etc used to say that you have heard or read that something is good, bad etc 听说很好/极出色/很差等 The play is meant to be really good. 这部戏听说很好。18  be meant for somebody/something INTENDto be intended for a particular person or purpose 为某人[某目的]而准备的 a book meant for children 专为儿童写的书19  be meant for somebody SUITABLEif two people are meant for each other, they are very suitable as partners for each other 适合某人 They were meant for each other. 他们很般配。 She’s meant for him. 她很适合他。20  somebody was never meant for something/to be something SUITABLEused to say that someone is not at all suitable for a particular job or activity 某人根本不是从事某种工作[活动]的料 I was never meant for the army. 我完全不是当兵的料。21  something was meant to be/happen CERTAINLY/DEFINITELYused to say that you think a situation was certain to happen and that no one could have prevented it 某事注定要发生 Dan left me after a month so I guess it just wasn’t meant to be. 丹一个月后就离开了我，所以我想我们注定不能在一起。22  know/understand what it means to be something UNDERSTANDto have experienced a particular situation, so that you know what it is like 知道/理解某事的滋味 I know what it means to be alone in a foreign country. 我知道独自一人身处异国是什么滋味。n GRAMMAR: Using the progressiveMean is not used in the progressive in any of its senses, except for sense 3. You say: What does this word mean?This means trouble. ✗Don’t say: What is this word meaning? | This is meaning trouble.5 FREQUENCY 使用频率

→ See Verb table

Examples from the Corpus

mean• She's kind of irritable, if you know what I mean.• Do you know what "ambidextrous" means?• He said Sarah was a very close friend, but I'm not sure what he meant.• High interest rates and high inflation mean a recession is not far away.• It says "not suitable for children", which means anyone under 16.• The strength of the pound means bikes are much cheaper to buy on the continent than over here.• "Poultry" means chickens, ducks, turkeys, and geese.• In practice this means for men.• Does this mean I can't go to the wedding?• I mean it - I'll scream if you don't let me go.• Just because it's red doesn't mean it's cherry-flavored.• His new responsibilities at work mean Leroy will rarely see his children.• Cloudy water from the taps usually means problems with your storage tank.• If A is false, does that also mean proposition B is false?• Dark clouds usually mean rain.• Her car's not there, so that must mean she's gone to pick him up.• Frank's surgery residency means staying in Albuquerque another five years.• "Downsizing" simply means that firms are tending to buy smaller computers to do jobs which used to require big ones.• Bush's tax cuts and the slowing economy mean that Pentagon policy choices will have to be made this year.• Since the amount of information to be conveyed remains much the same this means that the signal-to-noise ratio will be worse.• I meant that we would have to leave early, that's all.• A free economy does not mean the absence of any economic control.• Oh, you mean the blue shorts.• It is much quicker, and it means the same, if we say Yes I do or Yes I think so.• That was the point Henry Hyde meant to make about opinion polls.• Similarly, some words which are meant to stir can leave others unmoved.• And I meant what I said about you at the start of this.• I meant what I said, I never want to see you again.mean (that)• It means accepting power as natural and necessary to decision making regardless of formal structure.• In terms of the Chart this means controlling the order in which hypotheses are taken off the Agenda and added to the search space.• Maybe Claire means it's all right, she only needs one more hanky.• You talk of family and you mean one ruthless and callous renegade.• It's not a problem, it just means that we can't use this information.• In the home this usually means the telephone line, which is fine for voice but excruciatingly slow for data.• Their life tenure means they defy patronage.• But that means you have to fight so damn hard to get even with the system.• I mean, you've heard all his New Age stuff about them being soul mates destined for each other.I know what you mean• But I knew what he meant.• I saw the way Rohan looked at you. I knew what it meant.• Looking for family-right, Aunt Marie, I know what you mean.• Now I knew what they meant.• Oh, I know what you mean.• She didn't say which few, but I knew what she meant.meant it for the best• I only meant it for the best.mean (that)• It means accepting power as natural and necessary to decision making regardless of formal structure.• In terms of the Chart this means controlling the order in which hypotheses are taken off the Agenda and added to the search space.• Maybe Claire means it's all right, she only needs one more hanky.• You talk of family and you mean one ruthless and callous renegade.• In the home this usually means the telephone line, which is fine for voice but excruciatingly slow for data.• Their life tenure means they defy patronage.• But that means you have to fight so damn hard to get even with the system.• I mean, you've heard all his New Age stuff about them being soul mates destined for each other.mean something to• But she couldn't let him see that it had meant something to her.• He is willing to extend his generosity to people who mean something to him or are of the same religion.• It may have been at this time that the name Saladin began to mean something to him.• Old Eddy meant something to him.• But it means something to them.• We love that we meant something to them.• It did mean something to us.• It dawned on me I really meant something to you, you know.really mean• How far away that really means.• However, when business schools say that they can effectively teach entrepreneurial skills, what do they really mean?• People kept asking us: What does it really mean?• That sounds like motherhood and apple pie until we examine what full employment really means.• This really means cutting in angled sweeps, allowing the double blade to cut on the forward and return arc.• Anna hadn't really meant here, but she felt she'd better not say anything.• And it really means nothing if you don't beat a Michigan team that you should.• Whatever that phrase really means, Tuesday's program Twentieth-Century Landscapes showed how freely composers exploited sound in the past century.meant something• In these quiet, comforting moments the promises they made meant something, and gave him hope for the future.• But until 1800 it meant something different from what it does today.• One life? as if it meant something special.• But she couldn't let him see that it had meant something to her.• The name meant something to me.• We love that we meant something to them.• Second, I wanted a school noted for its education, or a degree that meant something where I wanted to live.• I was one of the last fortunate people because winning still meant something.mean (that)• It means accepting power as natural and necessary to decision making regardless of formal structure.• In terms of the Chart this means controlling the order in which hypotheses are taken off the Agenda and added to the search space.• Maybe Claire means it's all right, she only needs one more hanky.• You talk of family and you mean one ruthless and callous renegade.• In the home this usually means the telephone line, which is fine for voice but excruciatingly slow for data.• Their life tenure means they defy patronage.• But that means you have to fight so damn hard to get even with the system.• I mean, you've heard all his New Age stuff about them being soul mates destined for each other.

Related topics: Maths, Measurement

mean2 ●●● S3 adjective (comparative meaner, superlative meanest)  1  UNKINDcruel 残酷的 cruel or not kind 残酷的；不善良的；刻薄的 That was a mean thing to do. 这事做得不厚道。 I felt a bit mean asking him to help. 我觉得让他来帮忙有点残忍。 It’s a mean trick to play on someone. 跟人玩这样的恶作剧够损的。 It was mean of him not to invite her. 他不厚道，没邀请她。mean to Don’t be so mean to her! 不要对她这么刻薄！► see thesaurus at unkind2  not generous 吝啬的 British EnglishGENEROUS not wanting to spend money, or not wanting to use much of something 吝啬的 SYN stingy, American English cheap He’s too mean to buy a present for his wife. 他很吝啬，给他妻子买件礼物都不肯。mean with He’s always been mean with his money. 他花钱一向很吝啬。 It was supposed to be garlic bread, but they’d been a bit mean with the garlic. 本应该是蒜香面包，但他们用蒜有点吝啬。3  no mean feat/achievement/task etc DIFFICULTsomething that is very difficult to do, so that someone who does it deserves to be admired 不小的业绩/成就/任务等 They sold 1 million cards in the first year of business – no mean feat, given the problems many businesses are facing. 他们在开张的第一年就卖出了一百万张卡，考虑到许多公司面临的种种问题，真是很不错的业绩。4  be no mean performer/player etc GOOD/EXCELLENTto be very good at doing something 是一位了不起的演员/球员等 Kinnock is no mean performer on the rugby field. 金诺克在橄榄球场上是个了不起的运动员。5  a mean something informalGOOD AT used to say that something is very good or that someone is very good at doing something 很好的某事物；很拿手的某事 He plays a mean game of poker. 他打扑克很厉害。 They serve a mean Sunday brunch at the restaurant on Fourth Street. 第四大街的那家饭店提供丰盛的周日早午餐。6  average 平均的 [only before noun] technicalHM average 平均 The study involved 60 patients with a mean age of 58.2 years. 这项研究涉及60名患者，平均年龄为58.2岁。 The mean annual rainfall was 852 mm. 年平均降雨量为852毫米。7  poor 破旧的 [only before noun] literaryPOOR poor or looking poor 简陋的，难看的，破旧的 She walked briskly through the mean and dirty streets. 她快步穿过一条条穷街陋巷。 —meanly adverb —meanness noun [uncountable]

Examples from the Corpus

mean• There's no reason to be mean.• We soon found out that our new teacher could be real mean.• Now with Sam gone Helen will get meaner and meaner to me like always.• Rick's so mean he never even buys his wife a birthday present.• He's so mean, he won't even buy his wife a birthday present.• The mean labelling indices did not change significantly over time regardless of whether or not there were recurrences.• The mean length of stay in the hospital is 11 days.• The disparity between solar noon and mean noon widens and narrows as the seasons change, on a sliding scale.• It was mean of you to disturb her when she was having a rest.• My father was a mean old man who resented every penny he spent on us.• In the garden grey airs blow moist, but the mean sky holds on to its water.• I never thought he was capable of doing such a mean thing to his brother.• Sharon and the others were really mean to me at school today.• He was mean to those who worked for him and generous to those who he hardly knew.• That was a mean trick.• She hated him for being so mean. Why was he stopping her from seeing her friends?• Marsha has always been mean with her money.mean to• Mom, Laverne is being mean to me.mean3 noun  1  the mean technicalHM the average amount, figure, or value 平均数，平均值 The mean of 7,9 and 14 is 10. 7、9和14的平均数为10。2  the/a mean between something and something MIDDLEa method of doing something which is between two very different methods, and better than either of them 的中庸之道，…的折中办法〔介于两种不同办法之间而比两者都好的一种办法〕 It’s a case of finding the mean between firmness and compassion. 这是要在强硬和同情之间找出折中的办法。 → means

Examples from the Corpus

mean• As for the rapists, I bet they are unsuccessful in attracting females, and so resort to desperate means.• But success was by no means guaranteed.• By no means, Watson; even now quite a few scientists continue to doubt.• The poorer ones lack the means to get out, and keep getting caught.• In some of the other states, the usual means of locomotion was still a horse and wagon.From Longman Business Dictionarymeanmean1 /miːn/ adjective [only before a noun] STATISTICS averageAnalysts’ mean estimate is for earnings of 33 cents a share.meanmean2 noun the meanSTATISTICS the averageThe GDP of this state was 32% below the mean for the country as a whole. → arithmetic meanOrigin mean1 Old English mænan mean2 1. Old English gemæne2. (1300-1400) Old French meien, from Latin medianus; → MEDIAN2 mean3 (1300-1400) Old French meien, from meien “in the middle”; → MEAN2

mean1 verb →10-16
→n GRAMMAR1 →REGISTER1 →5 FREQUENCY1 →SPOKEN PHRASES1mean2 adjectivemean3 nounLDOCE OnlineChinese  

to represent or particular have Corpus a Business

mean

I

mean¹ S1 W1 /miːn/ verb [transitive] (past tense and past participle meant /ment/)1.  HAVE A PARTICULAR MEANING  [not in progressive] to have or represent a particular meaning:
    What does ‘patronizing’ mean?
    The red light means ‘Stop’.
    The report fails to define what is meant by the term ‘key issues’.
    mean (that)
    This light means you’re running low on fuel.
  REGISTER
    In written English, people often prefer to say that something indicates something is the case, rather than using mean:
   ▪ The light indicates that fuel supplies are low.
2.  INTEND TO SAY SOMETHING  [not in progressive] to intend a particular meaning when you say something
    mean (that)
    I meant we’d have to leave early – that’s all.
    It’s pretty obvious what she means.
    (do) you mean spoken (=used to check you have understood what someone intended to say)
    Do you mean you’ve changed or Chris has changed?
    do/if you know/see what I mean? spoken (=used to check that someone understands you)
    I want to buy her something really special, if you know what I mean.
    We’re still married but living apart in the same house, if you see what I mean.
    Oh yeah__ I see what you mean (=I understand what you are trying to say).
    What I mean is, I don’t feel alone anymore (=used to explain more about what you have said).
    ‘I didn’t really like him.’ 'I know what you mean, I didn’t get on with him either (=used to say you understand and have had the same experience).
    ‘In three hours’ time, I’ll be a free man.‘ ’How do you mean (=used to ask someone to explain what they have just said)?'
3.  INTEND TO DO SOMETHING to intend to do something or intend that someone else should do something
    mean to do something
    I’ve been meaning to ask you if you want to come for a meal next week.
    I didn’t mean to upset you.
    mean somebody/something to do something
    I didn’t mean this to happen at all.
    I never meant you to find out.
    mean for somebody to do something especially American English:
    I didn’t mean for her to get hurt.
    I’m sure she didn’t mean it (=she did not intend to upset or hurt someone).
    mean no harm/offence/disrespect (=not intend to harm, offend etc someone)
    I’m sure he didn’t mean any harm.
    He may sound a bit rude at times, but he means well (=intends to be helpful or kind, even if it does not seem like that).
    I wasn’t criticizing you, I really meant it for the best (=wanted to be helpful, although my actions had the wrong effect).
4.  RESULT IN SOMETHING  [not in progressive] to have a particular result or involve something:
    The merger will mean the closure of the company’s Sydney office.
    Don’t let him see you. It will only mean trouble.
    mean (that)
    The high cost of housing means that many young people can’t afford to buy a house.
    mean doing something
    My new job will mean travelling all over the world.
    Dieting also means being careful about which foods you buy.
5.  BE FAMILIAR  [not in progressive] if a name, word etc means something to you, you are familiar with it or you understand it:
    He said his name was ‘Randall’ but it meant nothing to me (=I was not familiar with it).
    Does the name Bryce mean anything to you?
    You need to use analogies which will mean something to the reader.
6.  SAY SOMETHING SERIOUSLY  [not in progressive] to be serious about what you are saying or writing:
    With children, if you say ‘no’, you have to mean it.
    I meant what I said earlier.
    You don’t really mean that, do you?
7.  HOW IMPORTANT SOMEBODY/SOMETHING IS  [not in progressive] used for saying how important someone or something is to you
    mean something to somebody
    I know how much your work means to you.
    The medal meant a lot to him.
    mean the world to somebody/mean everything to somebody (=be very important to someone)
    He meant the world to her.
    Time meant nothing (=it was not important) to me while I was travelling.
    Of course the relationship meant something to me.
8.  SHOW SOMETHING IS TRUE/WILL HAPPEN  [not in progressive] to be a sign that something is true or will happen
    mean (that)
    Finding a lump does not necessarily mean you have cancer.
    Clear skies mean that it will be a cold night.
    Just because he’s been in prison, it doesn’t mean that he’s violent.
     
SPOKEN PHRASES
9. what do you mean ...?
  a. used when you do not understand what someone is trying to say:
    ‘You’ll be careful won’t you?’ ‘What do you mean?’
  b. used when you are very surprised or annoyed by what someone has just said:
    What do you mean, you’ve cancelled the trip?
    What do you mean by that?
  c. used when you are very annoyed by what someone has just done:
    What do you mean by calling me at this time of night?
10.  SAY WHICH PERSON/THING used to say that a particular person or thing is the one that you are talking about, pointing to etc:
    ‘Hey you__’ ‘Do you mean me?’
    I meant the pink dress, not the red one.
11. I mean
  a. used when explaining or giving an example of something, or when pausing to think about what you are going to say next:
    You’re more of an expert than me. I mean, you’ve got all that experience.
    It’s just not right. I mean, it’s unfair isn’t it?
  b. used to quickly correct something you have just said:
    She plays the violin, I mean the viola, really well.
12. see what I mean? used when something that happens proves what you said before:
    See what I mean? Every time she calls me up she wants me to do something for her.
13. that’s what I mean used when someone is saying the same thing that you were trying to say earlier:
    ‘We might not have enough money.’ ‘That’s what I mean, so we’d better find out the price first.’
14. I mean to say used when adding a reason or explanation for something you have just said, especially something you feel strongly about:
    Of course she wants to see the children, I mean to say, it’s only natural isn’t it?
15. mean business to be determined to do something:
    This decision shows the public that we mean business.
16. be meant to do something
  a. if you are meant to do something, you should do it, especially because someone has told you to or because you are responsible for it:
    Come on, Ellen, you’re meant to be helping me.
    I thought the police were meant to protect people.
  b. to be intended to do something:
    The diagram is meant to show the different stages of the process.
17. be meant to be good/excellent/bad etc used to say that you have heard or read that something is good, bad etc:
    The play is meant to be really good.
18. be meant for somebody/something to be intended for a particular person or purpose:
    a book meant for children
19. be meant for somebody if two people are meant for each other, they are very suitable as partners for each other:
    They were meant for each other.
    She’s meant for him.
20. somebody was never meant for something/to be something used to say that someone is not at all suitable for a particular job or activity:
    I was never meant for the army.
21. something was meant to be/happen used to say that you think a situation was certain to happen and that no one could have prevented it:
    Dan left me after a month so I guess it just wasn’t meant to be.
22. know/understand what it means to be something to have experienced a particular situation, so that you know what it is like:
    I know what it means to be alone in a foreign country.

II

mean² adjective (comparative meaner, superlative meanest)1.  CRUEL cruel or not kind:
    That was a mean thing to do.
    I felt a bit mean asking him to help.
    It’s a mean trick to play on someone.
    It was mean of him not to invite her.
    mean to
    Don’t be so mean to her__
2.  NOT GENEROUS British English not wanting to spend money, or not wanting to use much of something
   SYN  stingy, cheap American English:
    He’s too mean to buy a present for his wife.
    mean with
    He’s always been mean with his money.
    It was supposed to be garlic bread, but they’d been a bit mean with the garlic.
3. no mean feat/achievement/task etc something that is very difficult to do, so that someone who does it deserves to be admired:
    They sold 1 million cards in the first year of business – no mean feat, given the problems many businesses are facing.
4. be no mean performer/player etc to be very good at doing something:
    Kinnock is no mean performer on the rugby field.
5. a mean something informal used to say that something is very good or that someone is very good at doing something:
    He plays a mean game of poker.
    They serve a mean Sunday brunch at the restaurant on Fourth Street.
6.  AVERAGE  [only before noun] technical average:
    The study involved 60 patients with a mean age of 58.2 years.
    The mean annual rainfall was 852 mm.
7.  POOR  [only before noun] literary poor or looking poor:
    She walked briskly through the mean and dirty streets.
—meanly adverb
—meanness noun [uncountable]
     

THESAURUS

   ▪ unkind treating people in a way that makes them unhappy or upset. Unkind sounds rather formal. In everyday English, people usually say mean or nasty: Children can be very unkind to each other. | a rather unkind remark
   ▪ mean especially spoken unkind: Don’t be mean to your sister__ | It was a mean thing to do.
   ▪ nasty deliberately unkind, and seeming to enjoy making people unhappy: He said some really nasty things before he left. | a nasty man
   ▪ hurtful unkind – used about remarks and actions: Joe couldn’t forget the hurtful things she had said. | Couples sometimes do hurtful things to each other.
   ▪ spiteful deliberately unkind to someone because you are jealous of them or angry with them: The other women were spiteful to her, and gave her the hardest work to do. | She watched them with spiteful glee (=pleasure).
   ▪ malicious deliberately behaving in a way that is likely to upset, hurt, or cause problems for someone: Someone had been spreading malicious rumours about him. | There was a malicious smile on her face. | an act of malicious vandalism | The accusations are malicious.
   ▪ unsympathetic not seeming to care about someone’s problems, and not trying to help them or make them feel better: Her parents were very unsympathetic, and told her that she deserved to fail her exam. | an unsympathetic boss
   ▪ hard-hearted very unsympathetic and not caring at all about other people’s feelings: Was he hard-hearted enough to leave his son in jail overnight? | a hard-hearted businessman

III

mean³ noun1. the mean technical the average amount, figure, or value:
    The mean of 7, 9 and 14 is 10.
2. the/a mean between something and something a method of doing something which is between two very different methods, and better than either of them:
    It’s a case of finding the mean between firmness and compassion.
⇨ means