# mean

/ˈmin/ (US) · /mˈiːn/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/mean
Updated: 2026-06-15

## Senses

### 1. to signify or explain

verb · CEFR A1

to have a specific meaning or to represent an idea.

For teachers: to signify or represent a particular concept, word, or idea. Transitive — requires a direct object or a 'that' clause.

- I am sorry, but I do not know what this word means.
- The red light on the dashboard is designed to mean that the engine is overheating and requires immediate attention.

### 2. to intend

verb · CEFR A2

to have something as a purpose or plan.

For teachers: to intend to convey or do something; often used to clarify intentions after a misunderstanding.

- I did not mean to hurt your feelings when I made that joke.
- The legislation was never meant to penalize small businesses, though its initial implementation caused significant confusion.

### 3. to be important

verb · CEFR B1

to have value or importance to someone.

For teachers: to be of a specified level of importance or significance to a person.

- Your friendship means a lot to me.
- Winning the championship meant everything to the players after years of rigorous training and repeated failures.

### 4. unkind

adjective · CEFR A2

unkind or cruel to other people.

For teachers: behaving in an unkind, spiteful, or malicious manner.

- Don't be mean to your little brother; give him his toy back.
- The supervisor had a reputation for being mean to new recruits, often criticizing their work in front of the entire team.

### 5. stingy

adjective · CEFR B1 · British English

not wanting to spend money or give things to others.

For teachers: unwilling to give or spend; ungenerous. Primarily used in British English in this sense.

- He is very wealthy, but he is too mean to buy his friends a drink.
- Despite his vast inheritance, he remained notoriously mean, refusing to donate even a small portion to the local charity.

### 6. skillful

adjective · CEFR B2 · Informal

very good at doing something.

For teachers: highly skillful or effective; often used in the phrase 'plays a mean...'.

- My grandmother makes a mean apple pie.
- He might look quiet, but he plays a mean game of chess and rarely loses to anyone in the club.

### 7. average

noun · CEFR B2 · Technical

the middle value of a set of numbers.

For teachers: the mathematical average found by adding several quantities together and dividing the sum by the number of quantities.

- To find the mean, add the test scores and divide by the number of students.
- The statistical analysis focused on the arithmetic mean of the results to minimize the impact of a few extreme outliers.

### 8. middle point

noun · CEFR C1 · Academic · Formal

a middle point between two extremes.

For teachers: a middle state or condition between two extremes; often used in the context of 'the golden mean'.

- We need to find a happy mean between working too hard and being lazy.
- Aristotle argued that virtue lies in the mean, avoiding the vices of both deficiency and excess in one's character.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.