bean
1 of 2noun
ˈbēn 
1
a
: fava bean
b
: the seed of any of various erect or climbing plants (as of the genera Phaseolus and Vigna) of the legume family other than the fava bean
c
: a plant bearing beans
d
: an immature bean pod used as a vegetable
2
a
: a valueless item
b
beans plural : the least amount
didn't know beans about it
3
: any of various seeds or fruits that resemble beans or bean pods
coffee beans
also : a plant producing these
4
a
beans plural : exuberance —used in the phrase full of beans
b
beans plural : nonsense, bunkum —used in the phrase full of beans
5
: head, brain
6
: a protuberance on the upper mandible of waterfowl see duck illustration
bean
2 of 2verb
beaned; beaning; beans
transitive verb
: to strike (a person) on the head with an object
Synonyms
Noun
- block [slang]
- dome
- head
- mazard [chiefly dialect]
- mazzard
- nob
- noddle
- noggin
- noodle
- nut [slang]
- pate
- poll
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Noun We ate rice and beans for dinner. We're growing tomatoes and beans in our garden this year.
Recent Examples on the Web
Ann Maloney, Washington Post, 14 Sep. 2022 For example, my favorites are bean and cheese with bacon, carne guisada, potato and egg, and bacon and egg. Paul Stephen, San Antonio Express-News, 14 Sep. 2022 Afterward, the governor handed the prince a brown bag containing a bean sprout sandwich. George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 12 Sep. 2022 The standard bean fillings make for a starchier, dense cake. Em Chan, USA TODAY, 9 Sep. 2022 The playground is open at Stepping Stone Farm with a corn maze, bean maze, hay ride, jumbo jumpers, 10 and 20-foot slides, corn pit, hay mound, and dirt mountain ($5 admission). The Courier-Journal, 8 Sep. 2022 There are others like a $5 nacho hack and a $2 bean and cheese burrito hack. Alena Botros, Fortune, 7 Sep. 2022 Part 3 is bean fields, Urkel, sisters and keys in electric sockets. Doug Lesmerises, cleveland, 5 Sep. 2022 The rest of the evening was spent calling the little bean-head to the truck with door remaining closed. John Schandelmeier, Anchorage Daily News, 4 Sep. 2022 Jerry Beach, Forbes, 9 Apr. 2022 Eight days earlier in Pittsburgh, Cubs manager Joe Maddon took exception to Pirates pitcher Jordan Lyles nearly beaning Javier Baez. Mark Gonzales, chicagotribune.com, 13 July 2019 Immediately following the show, there will bean after arty in the Kleist Center’s Black Box Theatre. Rich Heileman, cleveland, 8 Nov. 2019 The Dodgers were fortunate the Nationals didn’t further reduce their 3-1 lead in that inning, which Buehler started by beaning Kurt Suzuki. Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2019 After Maddon’s ejection, David Bote was beaned by reliever Clay Holmes with the bases loaded during a five-run fifth, causing home-plate umpire Joe West to issue warnings to both dugouts. Mark Gonzales, chicagotribune.com, 3 July 2019 Attacking the upper half of the strike zone against the Cubs has been a successful ploy by the Dodgers and Braves, but the high and tight pitches by Lyles and Clay Holmes — who beaned David Bote with the bases loaded — were too much for Maddon. Mark Gonzales, chicagotribune.com, 5 July 2019 On June 21, 1967, Yankees pitcher Thad Tillotson beaned Sox third baseman Joe Foy, who had hit a grand slam the day before, in the second inning. Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 27 Aug. 2019 Baltimore closer Mychal Givens beaned Bregman between the shoulder blades with a 97 mph fastball in the ninth inning. Chandler Rome, Houston Chronicle, 13 Aug. 2019 See More
Noun
Brainstorm your meal plan with this in mind: The investment in making an inexpensive pot of beans with rice on Sunday can pay off in easy burritos and bean salad on Monday and Tuesday. Ann Maloney, Washington Post, 14 Sep. 2022 For example, my favorites are bean and cheese with bacon, carne guisada, potato and egg, and bacon and egg. Paul Stephen, San Antonio Express-News, 14 Sep. 2022 Afterward, the governor handed the prince a brown bag containing a bean sprout sandwich. George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 12 Sep. 2022 The standard bean fillings make for a starchier, dense cake. Em Chan, USA TODAY, 9 Sep. 2022 The playground is open at Stepping Stone Farm with a corn maze, bean maze, hay ride, jumbo jumpers, 10 and 20-foot slides, corn pit, hay mound, and dirt mountain ($5 admission). The Courier-Journal, 8 Sep. 2022 There are others like a $5 nacho hack and a $2 bean and cheese burrito hack. Alena Botros, Fortune, 7 Sep. 2022 Part 3 is bean fields, Urkel, sisters and keys in electric sockets. Doug Lesmerises, cleveland, 5 Sep. 2022 The rest of the evening was spent calling the little bean-head to the truck with door remaining closed. John Schandelmeier, Anchorage Daily News, 4 Sep. 2022 Verb
Everyone on the field agreed Matt Cain didn’t mean to bean David Wright on Aug, 15, 2009, when the star third baseman suffered a concussion after being hit on the helmet. Jerry Beach, Forbes, 9 Apr. 2022 Eight days earlier in Pittsburgh, Cubs manager Joe Maddon took exception to Pirates pitcher Jordan Lyles nearly beaning Javier Baez. Mark Gonzales, chicagotribune.com, 13 July 2019 Immediately following the show, there will bean after arty in the Kleist Center’s Black Box Theatre. Rich Heileman, cleveland, 8 Nov. 2019 The Dodgers were fortunate the Nationals didn’t further reduce their 3-1 lead in that inning, which Buehler started by beaning Kurt Suzuki. Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2019 After Maddon’s ejection, David Bote was beaned by reliever Clay Holmes with the bases loaded during a five-run fifth, causing home-plate umpire Joe West to issue warnings to both dugouts. Mark Gonzales, chicagotribune.com, 3 July 2019 Attacking the upper half of the strike zone against the Cubs has been a successful ploy by the Dodgers and Braves, but the high and tight pitches by Lyles and Clay Holmes — who beaned David Bote with the bases loaded — were too much for Maddon. Mark Gonzales, chicagotribune.com, 5 July 2019 On June 21, 1967, Yankees pitcher Thad Tillotson beaned Sox third baseman Joe Foy, who had hit a grand slam the day before, in the second inning. Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 27 Aug. 2019 Baltimore closer Mychal Givens beaned Bregman between the shoulder blades with a 97 mph fastball in the ninth inning. Chandler Rome, Houston Chronicle, 13 Aug. 2019 See More Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English bene, from Old English bēan; akin to Old High German bōna bean
Verb
verbal derivative of bean entry 1 in sense "head"
First Known Use
Noun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Verb
1909, in the meaning defined above
Phrases Containing bean
Kids Definition
bean
noun
ˈbēn
1
: the edible seed or pod of a bushy or climbing garden plant related to the peas and clovers
2
: a seed or fruit like a bean
coffee beans
beans 1 of 2
noun
1
as in energy
active strength of body or mind nine-year-old twins who are full of beans Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- energy
- juice
- vigor
- gas
- vinegar
- starch
- ginger
- life
- vim
- dash
- bounce
- zip
- drive
- pep
- zing
- brio
- muscle
- stamina
- spirit
- sap
- punch
- strength
- power
- gusto
- verve
- esprit
- dynamism
- go
- zeal
- vitality
- oomph
- fire
- snap
- passion
- spunk
- animal spirits
- hardihood
- get-up-and-go
- animation
- moxie
- metal
- fitness
- liveliness
- sprightliness
- soundness
- vivacity
- briskness
- might
- spunkiness
- fervor
- snappiness
- health
- spiritedness
- vivaciousness
- vibrancy
- vibrance
- main
- jauntiness
- potency
- mettle
- ardor
- verdure
- brawniness
- sturdiness
- élan
- healthiness
- huskiness
- hardiness
- virility
- wellness
- puissance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- lethargy
- tenderness
- delicacy
- softness
- sluggishness
- indolence
- laziness
- listlessness
- torpidity
- weakness
- faintness
- exhaustion
- impotence
- disablement
- infirmity
- powerlessness
- impotency
- debility
- frailty
- feebleness
- debilitation
- puniness
- enfeeblement
- prostration
- inanition
- slightness
- frailness
- enervation
2
as in nuts
language, behavior, or ideas that are absurd and contrary to good sense I know something about gardening, and you're full of beans Synonyms & Similar Words
- nuts
- garbage
- nonsense
- rubbish
- drool
- jazz
- blah
- muck
- trash
- silliness
- bunk
- applesauce
- stupidity
- fudge
- fiddle
- crock
- baloney
- bull
- rot
- craziness
- punk
- boloney
- balderdash
- bilge
- flapdoodle
- twaddle
- fiddlesticks
- malarkey
- claptrap
- poppycock
- hooey
- folderol
- bosh
- blatherskite
- insanity
- guff
- bunkum
- hogwash
- horsefeathers
- nerts
- flannel
- trumpery
- drivel
- hoodoo
- tosh
- humbuggery
- hokum
- foolishness
- moonshine
- blather
- madness
- blither
- piffle
- codswallop
- tommyrot
- tarradiddle
- greek
- fiddle-faddle
- blarney
- malarky
- gas
- falderal
- slush
- absurdity
- taradiddle
- blah-blah
- crapola
- buncombe
- humbug
- folly
- hokeypokey
- senselessness
- monkey business
- idiocy
- foolery
- inaneness
- hot air
- tomfoolery
- absurdness
- inanity
- kookiness
- lunacy
- monkeyshine(s)
- rigamarole
- rigmarole
- imbecility
- shenanigan(s)
- witlessness
- asininity
- hoity-toity
- fatuity
- hocus-pocus
- double-talk
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- horse sense
- rationality
- sensibleness
- reasonableness
- sense
- reasonability
- judgement
- levelheadedness
- judgment
- wisdom
- discernment
- common sense
3
as in damn
the smallest amount or part imaginable had trouble finding a job because he didn't know beans about computers Synonyms & Similar Words
- damn
- lick
- whit
- little
- hoot
- shred
- fig
- continental
- darn
- peanuts
- syllable
- squat
- rap
- iota
- bubkes
- ghost
- bit
- jot
- doodly-squat
- modicum
- durn
- doodley-squat
- tittle
- ounce
- diddly
- whoop
- bupkes
- diddly-squat
- touch
- bupkus
- hint
- speck
- sprinkling
- crumb
- ray
- particle
- pin
- streak
- shade
- smidgen
- ace
- strain
- scrap
- glimmer
- spot
- trace
- scruple
- suspicion
- smidge
- mite
- skosh
- shadow
- smidgin
- smidgeon
- dab
- semblance
- driblet
- nip
- snap
beans
2 of 2verb
as in skulls
Synonyms & Similar Words
- skulls
- brains
- spears
- canes
- clubs
- conks
- sledges
- cudgels
- saps
- lashes
- slashes
- sledgehammers
- switches
- butts
- peppers
- whips
- levels
- floors
- stabs
- knees
- flails
- decks
- creams
- stamps
- bumps
- dumps
- rabbit-punches
- thrashes
- knocks down
- bunts
- sucker punches
- fells
- taps
- kicks
- jabs
- pushes
- chops
- flogs
- socks
- strokes
- slugs
- boxes
- flicks
- jostles
- prods
- licks
- pokes
- shoves
- bowls (down or over)
- pelts
- bungs
- cuffs
- pounds
- laces
- buffets
- whales
- batters
- belts
- scuffs
- claps
- pommels
- mangles
- hammers
- nails
- thwacks
- clips
- bangs
- tags
- bats
- raps
- bops
- pastes
- clouts
- roughs
- bobs
- hits
- mauls
- zaps
- clocks
- thumps
- punches
- cracks
- knocks
- pummels
- wallops
- bonks
- swipes
- smacks
- bludgeons
- whacks
- beats
- slams
- slaps
- busts
- biffs
- smites
- drubs
- bashes
- swats
- lambastes
- strikes
- clobbers
- lambasts
- slogs