Unmean

adj, verb

adj, verb ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Verb
  1. 1
    To reverse, cancel, or negate what was intentionally communicated. rare

    "The play works to unmean meaning by a double dislocation. It uses expectation to undermine expectation both of everyday 'reality' and of theatrical genre."

Adjective
  1. 1
    Not mean (all senses). rare

    "The Age of Innocence is based on an Edith Wharton novel and set in the very unmean streets of upper-crust New York, circa 1870."

Synonyms

All synonyms
agreeablegenerouskindkindtake backtake back

Example

More examples

"The Age of Innocence is based on an Edith Wharton novel and set in the very unmean streets of upper-crust New York, circa 1870."

Etymology

Etymology 1

From un- (“not”) + mean.

Etymology 2

From un- (“reverse, opposite”) + mean.

More for "unmean"

SynonymsSentencesPronunciationTranslate

Next best steps

Find stronger synonymsSee usage examplesCheck pronunciationBrowse writing guides

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.