mean
MEAN is a four-letter word meaning a method, an intermediate value, or a measure of central tendency; it scores 6 Scrabble points.
Verb 4 meanings
To intend.
“I didn't mean to knock your tooth out.”
To convey (a meaning).
“The sky is red this morning—does that mean we're in for a storm?”
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?”
To cause or produce (a given result); to bring about (a given result).
“One faltering step means certain death.”
Adjective 4 meanings
Low in quality or degree; inferior; poor; shabby.
“a mean appearance”
Without dignity of mind; destitute of honour; low-minded; spiritless; base.
“You hurt her feelings - that was a mean thing to do.”
Of little value or worth; worthy of little or no regard; contemptible; despicable.
Ungenerous; stingy; tight-fisted.
“He's so mean. I've never seen him spend so much as five pounds on presents for his children.”
Noun 4 meanings
A method or course of action used to achieve some result.
Something which is intermediate or in the middle; an intermediate value or range of values; a medium.
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.
Either of the two numbers in the middle of a conventionally presented proportion, as 2 and 3 in 1:2=3:6.
Etymology
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-.
Similar and opposite words
The meaning shifts with context: a means is a way to reach an end, while a mathematical mean represents a group of values. That central-value sense also connects MEAN to words such as average and median, though they are not interchangeable in every calculation. For word games, its familiar letters make the word easy to recognize, but its score is modest.
MEAN at a glance
- MEAN has four letters and is worth 6 Scrabble points.
- NAME, AMEN, MANE, and NEMA use the same four letters.
- MEAT, MEAL, and MOAN each differ from MEAN by one letter.
- The mathematical sense refers to a representative value or measure of central tendency.
What does MEAN mean?
MEAN can name a method or course of action used to achieve a result. In a sentence such as “by these means,” the word points to the way something is done, not to a numerical average.
In mathematics, a mean is a value that represents a set of values, or a function that produces such a value. The familiar arithmetic mean is one example; the word can also describe an intermediate value or range. Context tells you which sense is intended.
How does MEAN score and fit in word games?
MEAN scores 6 points in Scrabble before any board bonuses: M is worth 3, while E, A, and N are worth 1 point each. The M supplies half the total, so placing it on a premium letter square matters more than trying to stretch the word across open spaces.
The anagrams NAME, AMEN, and MANE are familiar alternatives; NEMA is the less everyday rearrangement. For a one-letter change, MEAT and MEAL keep the opening M and E, while MOAN changes the third letter. MEAN is accepted in Collins, NWL2023, and ENABLE; check your game's word list before relying on a dictionary-specific play.
Rhymes with mean
All rhymesOne letter away
Questions people ask
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