I may be antisocial, but it doesn't mean I don't talk to people.
Source: tatoeba (1355)
Mean
/miːn/
Synonyms for "mean" (904 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (181)
Verb(3 words)
Noun(21 words)
mean valueamount ofamount toamountsamounts toarithmetic averageart thou hereavdpaverageaveragesaveragingavgbase the database the hypothesisbase wordcalculatecarrying capacity conceptcentralcentral tendencycentral value
Show 1 more word
abjectabominableabsolutelyabstemiousabstruseabysmalace-highadd up toadumbrateaffectagencyagentailingaimaim atallegorizeallude toamidshipsapparatusapproach
Show 127 more words
arduousarguearrantasceticashamedaspireaspire afteraspire toassetsassumeassuredlyat all eventsat any costatrociousattestauguraustereauthoritarianavariciousavenueaveragebackingbadbad-temperedbalancebalefulbanalbang upbang-upbasebase-mindedbasebornbe afterbe construed asbe indicative ofbe significant ofbe symptomatic ofbearishbeggarlybelow the saltbeneath contemptbespeakbetokenbigotbigotedbitchybonzerbornebossbrandishbreathebring forthbring forwardbring into viewbring outbring to mindbring to noticebrutalbullybundlebut goodby all meansby dint ofby means ofby no meansby way ofcankeredcantankerouscapitalcarrycavilingcentercentralcertainlychannelcharacterizecheapcheeseparingcheesychurlishcloseclosedclosed mindedcoarsecockneycold-heartedcommoncommonplacecommunicatecomplexcompromiseconnoteconstrictedcontemplatecontemptibleconveycoolcorecorkingcountcoursecrabbedcrackerjackcrampedcrankycreedboundcriticalcrosscross grainedcross-grainedcruelcrummycrustycusseddandydangledeafdeaf to reasondebaseddeclassedeficientdefinitelydegeneratedegradeddelicatedeliciousdemanding
Strong matches (271)
demonstratedenominatedenotedepraveddesigndesignatedesiredespicabledestinedeterminedevelopdiameterdiaphragmdifferentiatedifficiledifficultdirtydisagreeabledisclosedisgraceful
Show 220 more words
disgustingdishonorabledismaldisobligingdisplaydisreputabledivinedivulgedonsiedramatizedrearydrivedrive atduckydwarfeddwarfishearthborneconomicaleffectiveembodyenactentailequatorequatorialequidistantequipmentestateevidenceevinceexactingexcellentexceptionalexcitableexecrableexhibitexiguousexpectexpose to viewexpressfabfairfairishfanaticalfashionfawningfeistyfencefilthyfinancesfine and dandyflagrantflauntflourishforeshadowforetellforetokenformidablefortunefoulfourth classfourth-classfractiousfrugalfulsomefundsgaudygeargeneralitygetget acrossget overgimcrackygive evidencegive signgive tokengo forgolden meangraspinggravegreatgreedygroovygrossgrovellinggrudginghackhairyhalf measureshalf-and-half measureshalfwayhalfway measureshappy mediumharbor a designhardhard earnedhard foughthard-earnedhard-foughtharmfulhatehatefulhave every intentionhave in mindhave in viewheartheavyheinousheraldherculeanhideboundhighlighthinthint atholdingshomelyhopehostilehothuffishhuffyhumblehumble-lookinghumble-visagedhumblesthunky doryhunky-doryhurtfulidentifyignobleill-temperedilliberalilluminateimperfectimplicateimplyimportimpoverishedin any casein any eventin no wayinadequateincarnateincompetentindicateindifferentindisposedineffectualinferinferioringloriousiniquitousinnocuousinsinuateinstrumentinstrumentalityinstrumentationinsufficientinsularintangiblesintendintercurrentinteriorinterjacentintermediaryintermediateintervenientinterveningintimateintricateinvidiousinvolveirascibleirregularirritablejam-upjawbreakingjejunejust dandyjuste milieukeenkernelknottedknottylaboriousleanleastlentenlimitedlittlelittle mindedlittle-mindedlousylowlow classlow downlow gradelow testlow-classlow-downlow-gradelow-mindedlow-qualitylow-testlowbornlowbredlowestlowliestlowlylumpenmachinerymake a show ofmake clearmake plainmaladroitmaleficmaleficentmaliciousmalignmalignantmangy
Noun(10 words)
denotedenote the quantityexpectationexpectationsexpected outcomefindimportsindicateintendedsintermediate
Verb(11 words)
Adjective(6 words)
Adjective(4 words)
Related words (452)
manifestmannermarkmarvymaterializemattermeagermean to saymean-mindedmean-spiritedmeansmeaslymedialmedianmediocremediocritymediterraneanmediummenialmercenary
Show 360 more words
meretriciousmesialmesnemethodmezzomickey mousemidmiddlemiddle coursemiddle groundmiddle of the roadmiddle waymiddle-of-the-roadmiddlemostmiddlingmidlandmidmostmidriffmidshipsmidstmidwaymindmingyministrymiserablemiserlymodemoderatemoderatenessmoderationmodestmoneymoneybagsmonstrousnamenarrownarrow gaugenarrow mindednarrow-heartednarrow-mindednarrow-soulednarrow-spiritednastynearnearsightedneatnefariousnest eggneutral groundniftyniggardniggardlyno matter whatno picnicno waynobbynominatenonclericalnormnormalnot at allnot comparablenot easynot in itnotenoxiousnuclearnucleusobnoxiousobscureodiousof courseoff coloroffishokokayon no accountoperoseordinaryorganorneryout of itout of sightout of the runningout of this worldpaltryparparadeparaphernaliaparochialparsimoniouspatheticpeachypeachy-keenpenny-pinchingpenuriousperformperversepeskypettypilepinchpennypitiablepitifulplainplanplebeianpocketpoint indirectly topoint topokypoorportendpositionpositivelypossessionsprefigurepreindicatepresagepresentpresignpresignalpresignifypresumepresupposepretypifyprocedureprocessproduceprojectproletarianpromisepropertyproposeprovincialpunkpunypurblindpurportpurposepurserankreferrefer torepresentreprobatereptilianreservesresolveresourceresourcesrevealrigorousrippingroll outrottenroughroutinerubbishyruderuggedrulerumrunrun-downsadsavingsscabbyscantscantyscrawnyscrimpscrimpyscrubbyscruffyscrumptiousscummyscurvyscuzzysecond bestsecond classsecond ratesecond-bestsecond-classsecond-rateseedyselfishservilesetset forthset with thornssevereshabbyshabby-genteelshamefulshoddyshortsightedshowshow forthsicksicklysignalsignifysimpleskilledskimpskimpyslap-upslavishsleazyslenderslightslimsmallsmall mindedsmall-mindedsmashingsnappishso-sosolidsomething elsesordidsorrysoursparesparingspartanspecifyspellspiffingspiffyspinyspitefulspleenyspleneticspotlightsqualidstandstand forstandardstarvationsteepstingystinkingstintedstintingstraitenedstraitlacedstrenuousstuffystunningstuntedsubmissivesubservientsubsistencesubstancesuggestsullensupportsupposesurelyswellsymbolizesymptomatizesymptomizesystemtackytake for grantedtattyteachabletechniquetestifytestythickthick of thingsthinthinkthird classthird ratethird-classthird-estatethird-ratethornythroughticklishtighttight-fistedtightfistedtinnytoilsometokentoughtrashytrickytrivialtrot outtroublesometroubloustrumperytwo-for-a-centtwo-for-a-pennytwopennytwopenny-halfpennytypifyuglyunaccommodatinguncatholicuncharitableunchivalrousundignifiedundistinguishedunfoldungenerousungenteelungivingunimportantunkindunliberalunmentionableunmercifulunnourishingunnutritiousunpleasantunpretentiousunskillfulunwashedunwelluphillusingusualvaluelessvehiclevenomousvexatiousviavia mediaviciousvileviolentvulgarwaistwaistlinewantwaspishwateredwaterywavewaywayswealthweighwherewithalwickedwishwithout failwizardwonderfulworthlesswretchedzone
Noun(32 words)
Adjective(16 words)
Adjective(13 words)
Verb(10 words)
Pronoun(1 words)
thou art variant
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: intend, mean value, abject, abominable, absolutely.
- Sentence evidence is available for mean, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wiktionary, wordnet, opengloss, moby, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "mean".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "mean"
Keep "mean" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "mean" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "mean", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "mean" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
36 entriesShowing 16 of 36 words.
More specific
13 entriesCollocations
10 entriesarithmetic meancalculate meancalculate the meanfind meanmean of numbersmean scoremean valuepopulation meansample meanweighted mean
Inflections
5 entriesDerivations
6 entriessimilar
10 entriesTranslations
75 translations across 38 languages.
Arabic
1 entries- مُتَوَسِّط noun (the statistical value)
Bulgarian
2 entries- средно noun (the statistical value)
- възнамерявам verb (to intend; plan on doing)
Catalan
1 entries- pretendre verb (to intend; plan on doing)
Cherokee
1 entries- ᎤᏰᎸᎭ verb (to intend; plan on doing)
Czech
2 entries- chtít verb (to intend; plan on doing)
- plánovat verb (to intend; plan on doing)
Dutch
2 entries- van plan zijn verb (to intend; plan on doing)
- willen verb (to intend; plan on doing)
Esperanto
1 entries- intenci verb (to intend; plan on doing)
Finnish
2 entries- keskiluku noun (the statistical value)
- aikoa verb (to intend; plan on doing)
French
3 entries- moyenne noun (the statistical value)
- avoir l'intention verb (to intend; plan on doing)
- entendre faire verb (to intend; plan on doing)
Galician
1 entries- pretender verb (to intend; plan on doing)
German
1 entries- beabsichtigen verb (to intend; plan on doing)
Greek
1 entries- μέσος όρος noun (the statistical value)
Hebrew
1 entries- הִתְכַּוֵּן verb (to intend; plan on doing)
Hindi
1 entries- चाह verb (to intend; plan on doing)
Hungarian
4 entries- akar verb (to intend; plan on doing)
- szándékozik verb (to intend; plan on doing)
- szándékában áll verb (to intend; plan on doing)
- tervez verb (to intend; plan on doing)
Icelandic
2 entries- meðaltal noun (the statistical value)
- ætla verb (to intend; plan on doing)
Indonesian
1 entries- bermaksud verb (to intend; plan on doing)
Italian
4 entries- media noun (the statistical value)
- aver l'intenzione verb (to intend; plan on doing)
- avere intenzione verb (to intend; plan on doing)
- intendere verb (to intend; plan on doing)
Japanese
2 entries- するつもり verb (to intend; plan on doing)
- 意図する verb (to intend; plan on doing)
Korean
1 entries- 의도(意圖)하다 verb (to intend; plan on doing)
Latin
2 entries- habeo in animo verb (to intend; plan on doing)
- volo verb (to intend; plan on doing)
Macedonian
1 entries- сака verb (to intend; plan on doing)
Malay
1 entries- min noun (the statistical value)
Māori
2 entries- tau toharite noun (the statistical value)
- toharite noun (the statistical value)
Old English
2 entries- willan verb (to intend; plan on doing)
- þenċan verb (to intend; plan on doing)
Polish
1 entries- chcieć verb (to intend; plan on doing)
Portuguese
4 entries- média noun (the statistical value)
- apiedar-se verb (to pity, comfort)
- compadecer-se verb (to pity, comfort)
- pretender verb (to intend; plan on doing)
Romanian
3 entries- avea intenția verb (to intend; plan on doing)
- se gândi verb (to intend; plan on doing)
- vrea verb (to intend; plan on doing)
Russian
3 entries- сре́днее noun (the statistical value)
- намерева́ться verb (to intend; plan on doing)
- собира́ться verb (to intend; plan on doing)
Scottish Gaelic
3 entries- cuibheas noun (the statistical value)
- cuibheasachd noun (the statistical value)
- meadhan noun (the statistical value)
Spanish
4 entries- media noun (the statistical value)
- apiadarse verb (to pity, comfort)
- compadecerse verb (to pity, comfort)
- intencionar verb (to intend; plan on doing)
Swedish
1 entries- tänka verb (to intend; plan on doing)
Tagalog
3 entries- kusain verb (to intend; plan on doing)
- sadyain verb (to intend; plan on doing)
- tikisin verb (to intend; plan on doing)
Telugu
2 entries- అనుకోవడము verb (to intend; plan on doing)
- పధకము వేయు verb (to intend; plan on doing)
Thai
1 entries- ตั้งใจ verb (to intend; plan on doing)
Turkish
2 entries- plânlamak verb (to intend; plan on doing)
- tasarlamak verb (to intend; plan on doing)
Ukrainian
1 entries- збира́тися verb (to intend; plan on doing)
Walloon
1 entries- awè idêye verb (to intend; plan on doing)
Sample sentences
85 total sentences available.
If you look at the lyrics, they don't really mean much.
Source: tatoeba (1389)
I don't know what you mean.
Source: tatoeba (1408)
What do you mean you don't know?!
Source: tatoeba (1643)
Showing 4 of 85 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "mean"?
Closest matches include intend, mean value, abject, abominable, absolutely.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "mean"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.