mean

verb

To lament.

1. To intend.
2. To convey (a meaning).
3. To have conviction in (something said or expressed); to be sincere in (what one says).

   Does she really mean what she said to him last night?

4. To cause or produce (a given result); to bring about (a given result).

   One faltering step means certain death.

5. (usually with to) To be of some level of importance.

   Formality and titles mean nothing in their circle.

1. Common; general.
2. Of a common or low origin, grade, or quality; common; humble.

   a man of mean parentage / a mean abode

3. Low in quality or degree; inferior; poor; shabby.

   a mean appearance / mean dress

4. Without dignity of mind; destitute of honour; low-minded; spiritless; base.

   a mean motive

5. Of little value or worth; worthy of little or no regard; contemptible; despicable.
6. Ungenerous; stingy; tight-fisted.

   He's so mean. I've never seen him spend so much as five pounds on presents for his children.

7. Disobliging; pettily offensive or unaccommodating
8. Selfish; acting without consideration of others; unkind.

   It was mean to steal the girl's piggy bank, but he just had to get uptown and he had no cash of his own.

9. Intending to cause harm, successfully or otherwise; bearing ill will towards another

   Watch out for her, she's mean. I said good morning to her, and she punched me in the nose.

10. Powerful; fierce; strong

    It must have been a mean typhoon that levelled this town.

11. Accomplished with great skill; deft; hard to compete with.

    He hits a mean backhand.

12. Difficult, tricky.

    This problem is mean!

1. (now chiefly in the plural) A method or course of action used to achieve some result.
2. (in the singular) An intermediate step or intermediate steps.
3. Something which is intermediate or in the middle; an intermediate value or range of values; a medium.
4. The middle part of three-part polyphonic music; now specifically, the alto part in polyphonic music; an alto instrument.
5. The average of a set of values, calculated by summing them together and dividing by the number of terms; the arithmetic mean.
6. Any function of multiple variables that satisfies certain properties and yields a number representative of its arguments; or, the number so yielded; a measure of central tendency.
7. Either of the two numbers in the middle of a conventionally presented proportion, as 2 and 3 in 1:2=3:6.

1. Having the mean (see noun below) as its value.
2. Middling; intermediate; moderately good, tolerable.