Meen vs. Mean: Mastering the Correct Spelling
Edited by Aimie Carlson || By Janet White || Updated on March 11, 2024
"Meen" is an incorrect spelling of the word "Mean," which can denote intention, represent an average, or describe something as unkind.
Which is correct: Meen or Mean
How to spell Mean?
Meen is Incorrect
Mean is Correct
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Key Differences
"Meen" doesn’t mean anything in English.
Always think "ea" as in "easy" when spelling "Mean".
Think of the phrase "by any means necessary", not "by any meens necessary".
Remember "Mean" as the average of numbers, not "Meen".
"Mean" can sound unkind, while "Meen" just sounds wrong.
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Correct usage of Mean
I didn't meen to hurt your feelings.
I didn't mean to hurt your feelings.
He seems to meen well, despite the outcome.
He seems to mean well, despite the outcome.
She didn't meen what she said.
She didn't mean what she said.
Can you explain what you meen?
Can you explain what you mean?
What do you meen by that?
What do you mean by that?
Mean Definitions
Of humble or low status.
He came from mean origins.
To be used to convey; denote
"'The question is,' said Alice, 'whether you can make words mean so many different things'" (Lewis Carroll).
To act as a symbol of; signify or represent
In this poem, the budding flower means youth.
To intend to convey or indicate
"No one means all he says, and yet very few say all they mean, for words are slippery and thought is viscous" (Henry Adams).
To have as a purpose or an intention; intend
I meant to go running this morning, but I overslept.
To design, intend, or destine for a certain purpose or end
A building that was meant for storage.
A student who was meant to be a scientist.
To have as a consequence; bring about
Friction means heat.
To have the importance or value of
The opinions of the critics meant nothing to him. She meant so much to me.
To have intentions of a specified kind; be disposed
They mean well but lack tact.
Lacking in kindness; unkind
The teacher was not being mean in asking you to be quiet.
Cruel, spiteful, or malicious
A mean boy who liked to make fun of others.
Expressing spite or malice
Gave me a mean look.
Tending toward or characterized by cruelty or violence
Mean streets.
Extremely unpleasant or disagreeable
The meanest storm in years.
Ignoble; base
A mean motive. ].
Occupying a middle or intermediate position between two extremes.
Intermediate in size, extent, quality, time, or degree; medium.
Something having a position, quality, or condition midway between extremes; a medium.
A number that typifies a set of numbers, such as a geometric mean or an arithmetic mean.
The average value of a set of numbers.
(Logic) The middle term in a syllogism.
Means (used with a sing. or pl. verb) A method, a course of action, or an instrument by which an act can be accomplished or an end achieved.
Money, property, or other wealth
You ought to live within your means.
Great wealth
A woman of means.
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 Baddeck this summer.
I meant to take the car in for a smog check, but it slipped my mind.
The authors meant a challenge to the status quo.
(intransitive) To have as intentions of a given kind.
Don't be angry; she meant well.
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.
(transitive) To intend an ensuing comment or statement as an explanation.[https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/i_mean%20I%20mean]
Your reasoning seems needlessly abstruse, complex, and verbose for me. I mean, could you dumb it down for my sake?
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?
(transitive) Of a word, symbol etc: to have reference to, to signify.
What does this hieroglyph mean?
(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 is a little different, if you know what I mean.
(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.
(transitive) To cause or produce (a given result); to bring about (a given result).
One faltering step means certain death.
(usually with to) To be of some level of importance.
That little dog meant everything to me.
Formality and titles mean nothing in their circle.
To lament.
(obsolete) Common; general.
Of a common or low origin, grade, or quality; common; humble.
A man of mean parentage
A mean abode
Low in quality or degree; inferior; poor; shabby.
A mean appearance
A mean dress
Without dignity of mind; destitute of honour; low-minded; spiritless; base.
A mean motive
It was mean of you to steal that little girl's piggy bank.
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.
Disobliging; pettily offensive or unaccommodating.
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.
Powerful; fierce; strong.
It must have been a mean typhoon that levelled this town.
(colloquial) Accomplished with great skill; deft; hard to compete with.
Your mother can roll a mean cigarette.
He hits a mean backhand.
Difficult, tricky.
This problem is mean!
Having the mean (see noun below) as its value; average.
The mean family has 2.4 children.
(obsolete) Middling; intermediate; moderately good, tolerable.
A method or course of action used to achieve some result.
An intermediate step or intermediate steps.
Something which is intermediate or in the middle; an intermediate value or range of values; a medium.
The middle part of three-part polyphonic music; now specifically, the alto part in polyphonic music; an alto instrument.
(statistics) The average of a set of values, calculated by summing them together and dividing by the number of terms; the arithmetic mean.
(mathematics) 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.
(mathematics) Either of the two numbers in the middle of a conventionally presented proportion, as 2 and 3 in 1:2=3:6.
To have in the mind, as a purpose, intention, etc.; to intend; to purpose; to design; as, what do you mean to do?
What mean ye by this service ?
Ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good.
I am not a SpaniardTo say that it is yours and not to mean it.
To signify; to indicate; to import; to denote.
What mean these seven ewe lambs ?
Go ye, and learn what that meaneth.
To have a purpose or intention.
Destitute of distinction or eminence; common; low; vulgar; humble.
The mean man boweth down, and the great man humbleth himself.
Wanting dignity of mind; low-minded; base; destitute of honor; spiritless; as, a mean motive.
Can you imagine I so mean could prove,To save my life by changing of my love ?
Of little value or account; worthy of little or no regard; contemptible; despicable.
The Roman legions and great Cæsar foundOur fathers no mean foes.
Of poor quality; as, mean fare.
Penurious; stingy; close-fisted; illiberal; as, mean hospitality.
Occupying a middle position; middle; being about midway between extremes.
Being of middle age and a mean stature.
Intermediate in excellence of any kind.
According to the fittest style of lofty, mean, or lowly.
Average; having an intermediate value between two extremes, or between the several successive values of a variable quantity during one cycle of variation; as, mean distance; mean motion; mean solar day.
That which is mean, or intermediate, between two extremes of place, time, or number; the middle point or place; middle rate or degree; mediocrity; medium; absence of extremes or excess; moderation; measure.
But to speak in a mean, the virtue of prosperity is temperance; the virtue of adversity is fortitude.
There is a mean in all things.
The extremes we have mentioned, between which the wellinstracted Christian holds the mean, are correlatives.
A quantity having an intermediate value between several others, from which it is derived, and of which it expresses the resultant value; usually, unless otherwise specified, it is the simple average, formed by adding the quantities together and dividing by their number, which is called an arithmetical mean. A geometrical mean is the nth root of the product of the n quantities being averaged.
That through which, or by the help of which, an end is attained; something tending to an object desired; intermediate agency or measure; necessary condition or coagent; instrument.
Their virtuous conversation was a mean to work the conversion of the heathen to Christ.
You may be able, by this mean, to review your own scientific acquirements.
Philosophical doubt is not an end, but a mean.
By this means he had them more at vantage.
What other means is left unto us.
Resources; property, revenue, or the like, considered as the condition of easy livelihood, or an instrumentality at command for effecting any purpose; disposable force or substance.
Your means are very slender, and your waste is great.
A part, whether alto or tenor, intermediate between the soprano and base; a middle part.
The mean is drowned with your unruly base.
Meantime; meanwhile.
A mediator; a go-between.
He wooeth her by means and by brokage.
If by any means I might attain to the resurrection of the dead.
The wine on this side of the lake is by no means so good as that on the other.
An average of n numbers computed by adding some function of the numbers and dividing by some function of n
Mean or intend to express or convey;
You never understand what I mean!
What do his words intend?
Have as a logical consequence;
The water shortage means that we have to stop taking long showers
Denote or connote;
`maison' means `house' in French
An example sentence would show what this word means
Have in mind as a purpose;
I mean no harm
I only meant to help you
She didn't think to harm me
We thought to return early that night
Have a specified degree of importance;
My ex-husband means nothing to me
Happiness means everything
Intend to refer to;
I'm thinking of good food when I talk about France
Yes, I meant you when I complained about people who gossip!
Destine or designate for a certain purpose;
These flowers were meant for you
Approximating the statistical norm or average or expected value;
The average income in New England is below that of the nation
Of average height for his age
The mean annual rainfall
Characterized by malice;
A hateful thing to do
In a mean mood
Having or showing an ignoble lack of honor or morality;
That liberal obedience without which your army would be a base rabble
Taking a mean advantage
Chok'd with ambition of the meaner sort
Something essentially vulgar and meanspirited in politics
Excellent;
Famous for a mean backhand
Marked by poverty befitting a beggar;
A beggarly existence in the slums
A mean hut
Used of persons or behavior; characterized by or indicative of lack of generosity;
A mean person
He left a miserly tip
Used of sums of money; so small in amount as to deserve contempt
To have a particular intention or convey a particular message.
What do you mean by that remark?
Referring to someone or something as unkind or cruel.
It was mean of him to say that.
Indicating something as inferior in quality.
The food was mean and tasteless.
Mean Sentences
He didn't mean to leave the door unlocked.
What do you mean by saying that?
They mean to visit us next summer.
What does that sign mean?
To mean the world to someone is a great compliment.
To mean well is not always enough.
What does this word mean in English?
She means everything to him.
I mean to finish this project by tomorrow.
Does this decision mean we are moving forward?
What did he mean when he said that?
Do you understand what I mean?
They didn't mean to overlook your contribution.
They mean to make a difference with their work.
I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make a mess.
His actions mean that he cares, even if he doesn't say it.
Mean Idioms & Phrases
Mean business
To be serious or determined about something.
When she walked into the meeting with all her documents, we knew she meant business.
No mean feat
A significant accomplishment that was difficult to achieve.
Finishing the marathon was no mean feat, considering he only started training six months ago.
Mean spirited
Having or showing a tendency to be unkind or malicious.
The comments were unnecessarily mean-spirited and hurtful.
Have a mean streak
To have a tendency to be occasionally cruel or nasty.
He seems nice, but he has a mean streak when he's angry.
Mean to an end
An action or method that is not valued for itself but is used to achieve a goal.
For him, working this job is just a means to an end until he can start his own business.
Mean the world to someone
To be extremely important or valuable to someone.
My family means the world to me.
Mean well
To have good intentions, even if the results are not always successful.
He means well, but sometimes his help causes more problems.
Doesn't mean a thing
To be unimportant or without value.
Winning that game doesn't mean a thing if you don't respect your opponents.
Mean nothing
To have no significance or importance.
Apologies mean nothing if actions don't change.
To mean no harm
To not intend to cause damage or offense.
I'm sure he meant no harm by his comments.
What do you mean?
A question asking for clarification about what someone has said.
The process is quite straightforward. What do you mean?
If you know what I mean
A phrase used to suggest that there is an unspoken implication or inference in what one has just said.
He's a bit too confident, if you know what I mean.
I mean
Used to clarify or emphasize what was previously said.
It's not that I don't like the design; I mean, it's just not suitable for our brand.
FAQs
Why is it called Mean?
The term "mean" derives from Old English "mǣnan", relating to intent or purpose.
Which vowel is used before Mean?
"a", as in "a mean".
What is the pronunciation of Mean?
/miːn/
What is the singular form of Mean?
Mean.
Which conjunction is used with Mean?
Any conjunction can be used depending on the context.
What is the verb form of Mean?
Mean.
Is Mean an abstract noun?
Yes, when referring to an average or intention.
What is the root word of Mean?
The Old English word "mǣnan".
What is the plural form of Mean?
Means.
Is Mean a noun or adjective?
Mean can be both a noun and an adjective, depending on usage.
Is Mean a vowel or consonant?
"Mean" is a word and contains both vowels and consonants.
Is Mean a countable noun?
Yes, when referring to methods or ways (e.g., various means).
Which preposition is used with Mean?
"of", as in "mean of something".
What is the third form of Mean?
Meant.
Which article is used with Mean?
"The", as in "the mean".
Is Mean a collective noun?
No.
Is the Mean term a metaphor?
It can be used metaphorically, e.g., "mean streets" to indicate a dangerous area.
Is the word Mean imperative?
No.
What part of speech is Mean?
It can be a verb, noun, or adjective based on context.
What is another term for Mean?
Intend, average, or unkind, based on context.
Which determiner is used with Mean?
"This", as in "this mean gesture".
Is Mean a negative or positive word?
Neutral, but can be perceived as negative when referring to unkindness.
How many syllables are in Mean?
One syllable.
What is a stressed syllable in Mean?
"Mean" itself, as it's a single-syllable word.
What is the opposite of Mean?
Kind, generous, or insignificant, depending on the context.
What is the first form of Mean?
Mean.
Is Mean an adverb?
No.
What is the second form of Mean?
Meant.
How is Mean used in a sentence?
"I didn't mean to hurt your feelings with my comment."
How do we divide Mean into syllables?
Mean is one syllable and isn't divided.
About Author
Written by
Janet WhiteJanet White has been an esteemed writer and blogger for Difference Wiki. Holding a Master's degree in Science and Medical Journalism from the prestigious Boston University, she has consistently demonstrated her expertise and passion for her field. When she's not immersed in her work, Janet relishes her time exercising, delving into a good book, and cherishing moments with friends and family.
Edited by
Aimie CarlsonAimie Carlson, holding a master's degree in English literature, is a fervent English language enthusiast. She lends her writing talents to Difference Wiki, a prominent website that specializes in comparisons, offering readers insightful analyses that both captivate and inform.
