Meaning

11 senses

  1. To intend.

    (transitive)To intend, to plan (to do); to have as one's intention.

    I didn't mean to knock your tooth out.

    I mean to go to Arévalo in Spain this summer; I’ve been meaning to tell you for weeks, but I’ve just found the time.

    intend to refer to

  2. (intransitive)To have as intentions of a given kind.

    Don't be angry; she meant well.

    собира́тьсяsobirátʹsja, намерева́тьсяnamerevátʹsja

    збира́тисяzbyrátysja

    have in mind as a purpose

  3. (passive, regional, transitive)To intend (something) for a given purpose or fate; to predestine.

    Actually this desk was meant for the subeditor.

    Man was not meant to question such things.

    предназначатьprednaznačatʹ, предназначитьprednaznačitʹ

  4. (transitive)To intend an ensuing comment or statement as an explanation.

    Your reasoning seems needlessly abstruse, complex, and verbose for me. I mean, could you dumb it down for my sake?

  5. To convey (a meaning).

    (transitive)To convey (a given sense); to signify, or indicate (an object or idea).

    The sky is red this morning—does that mean we're in for a storm?

    bedeuten, meinen, beabsichtigen

    зна́читьznáčitʹ, означа́тьoznačátʹ, име́ть в виду́imétʹ v vidú

    означа́тиoznačáty, зна́читиznáčyty, ма́ти на ува́зіmáty na uvázi

  6. (transitive)Of a word, symbol etc: to have reference to, to signify.

    What does this hieroglyph mean?

  7. (transitive)Of a person (or animal etc): to intend to express, to imply, to hint at, to allude.

    I’m afraid I don’t understand what you mean.

    He’s a little different, if you know what I mean.

    mean or intend to express or convey

  8. (transitive)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?

    Say what you mean and mean what you say.

    meinen

    име́ть в виду́imétʹ v vidú, ду́матьdúmatʹ

    ма́ти на ува́зіmáty na uvázi, дума́тиdumáty

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

    One faltering step means certain death.

    This breakthrough will mean that we spend less on electricity bills.

    bedeuten

    зна́читьznáčitʹ, означа́тьoznačátʹ

    зна́читиznáčyty, означа́тиoznačáty

  10. (usually)To be of some level of importance.

    That little dog meant everything to me.

    Formality and titles mean nothing in their circle.

    have a specified degree of importance

  11. (Ireland, UK, regional)To lament.

Examples

4315 sentences

  1. I don't know what you mean.

    Я не знаю, що ти маєш на увазі. — triantafillou

    ruЯ не понимаю, что ты имеешь в виду. — zmoo

    deIch weiß nicht, was du meinst. — kroko

    CK · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · A1Open on TatoebaReport a problem

  2. I didn't mean to hurt you.

    Я не хотів тебе образити. — deniko

    ruЯ не хотел причинить тебе боль. — Hellerick

    deIch wollte dir nicht weh tun. — Wolf

    CK · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · A1Open on TatoebaReport a problem

  3. I don't get what you mean.

    Не розумію, що ти маєш на увазі. — brambury

    ruЯ не понимаю, что вы имеете в виду. — Biga

    deIch weiß nicht, was du meinst. — kroko

    CK · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · A1Open on TatoebaReport a problem

  4. I didn't mean to do that.

    Я не хотів цього робити. — deniko

    ruЯ не собирался этого делать. — Wadimiy

    deDas war nicht meine Absicht. — kroko

    CK · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · A1Open on TatoebaReport a problem

  5. I meant it as a joke.

    Це був лише жарт. — shanghainese

    ruЯ просто пошутил. — marafon

    deDas sollte ein Witz sein. — Pfirsichbaeumchen

    CK · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FR · A2Open on TatoebaReport a problem

Translations

9 languages
Українська
By meaning 4
to intend; plan on doing:
to convey, indicate:
of a word: to signify:
to have conviction in what one says:
Русский
By meaning 5
to intend; plan on doing:
to intend (something) for a given purpose or fate:
to convey, indicate:
of a word: to signify:
to have conviction in what one says:
Deutsch
By meaning 3
to intend; plan on doing:
to convey, indicate:
of a word: to signify:

Origin

From Middle English menen (“to intend; remember; lament; comfort”), from Old English mǣnan

From Middle English menen (“to intend; remember; lament; comfort”), from Old English mǣnan (“to mean, complain”), Proto-West Germanic *mainijan, from Proto-Germanic *mainijaną (“to mean, think; complain”), from Proto-Indo-European *meyn- (“to think”), or perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *meyno-, extended form of Proto-Indo-European *mey-.

Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

Forms

means, meaning, meant, meant
Base formmean · to mean
3rd person singularmeans
Present participlemeaning
Past simplemeant
Past participlemeant

irregular · Lesson

Present simpleLesson

I, you, we, theymean
he, she, itmeans

Past simpleLesson

all personsmeant

Present perfectLesson

I, you, we, theyhave meant
he, she, ithas meant

Future simple (will)Lesson

all personswill mean

Synonyms

38 synonyms
intendB1conveyB1indicateA2signifyB2hintB2implyB2causeA2grieveB2mournB1keenB2lamentC2pineB2sighB2sorrowB1
Close in meaning

Word family

10 related words
Relatedmeaning
Derivedmeanablemean businessmean tomean wellmismeanunmeanwell-meaningwhaddayameanmeanless

Lessons for this word

3 lessons

Collocations

12 patterns
  • didn't mean to
  • really mean
  • mean to imply
  • mean to hurt
  • meant to do
  • the meaning of
  • been meaning to
  • really meant what
  • so mean to
  • does that mean
  • mean by that
  • really mean that

See also

neighbours in the dictionary
meagreC2mealA1mealtimemeandermeaningA2

Dictionary text adapted from Wiktionary (Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Open English WordNet / Princeton WordNet (CC BY 4.0, WordNet License); shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. Example sentences and recordings are credited where they appear.

mean — meaning, examples, forms, synonyms | Krumeto