| 单词 | mean |
| 释义 | mean mean1 /meen/, v. , meant, meaning. v.t. 1. to have in mind as one's purpose or intention; intend: I meant to compliment you on your work. 2. to intend for a particular purpose, destination, etc.: They were meant for each other. 3. to intend to express or indicate: What do you mean by "liberal"? 4. to have as its sense or signification; signify: The word "freedom" means many things to many people. 5. to bring, cause, or produce as a result: This bonus means that we can take a trip to Florida. 6. to have (certain intentions) toward a person: He didn't mean you any harm. 7. to have the value of; assume the importance of: Money means everything to them. She means the world to him. v.i. 8. to be minded or disposed; have intentions: Beware, she means ill, despite her solicitous manner. 9. mean well, to have good intentions; try to be kind or helpful: Her constant queries about your health must be tiresome, but I'm sure she means well. [bef. 900; ME menen, OE maenan; c. G meinen, D meenen] Syn. 1. contemplate. See intend. 2. destine, foreordain. 4. denote, indicate; import, imply, connote. mean2 /meen/, adj., meaner, meanest. 1. offensive, selfish, or unaccommodating; nasty; malicious: a mean remark; He gets mean when he doesn't get his way. 2. small-minded or ignoble: mean motives. 3. penurious, stingy, or miserly: a person who is mean about money. 4. inferior in grade, quality, or character: no mean reward. 5. low in status, rank, or dignity: mean servitors. 6. of little importance or consequence: mean little details. 7. unimposing or shabby: a mean abode. 8. small, humiliated, or ashamed: You should feel mean for being so stingy. 9. Informal. in poor physical condition. 10. troublesome or vicious; bad-tempered: a mean old horse. 11. Slang. skillful or impressive: He blows a mean trumpet. [bef. 900; ME mene, aph. var. (see Y-) of imene, OE gemaene; c. D gemeen, G gemein common, Goth gamains in common; cf. COMMON] Syn. 2. contemptible, despicable. MEAN, LOW, BASE, SORDID, and VILE all refer to ignoble characteristics worthy of dislike, contempt, or disgust. MEAN suggests pettiness and small-mindedness: to take a mean advantage. LOW suggests coarseness and vulgarity: low company. BASE suggests selfish cowardice or moral depravity: base motives. SORDID suggests a wretched uncleanness, or sometimes an avariciousness without dignity or moral scruples: a sordid slum; sordid gain. VILE suggests disgusting foulness or repulsiveness: vile insinuation; a vile creature. 3. niggardly, close, tight, parsimonious, illiberal, ungenerous, selfish. See stingy. 5. common, humble; undignified, plebeian. 6. inconsequential, insignificant, petty, paltry, little, poor, wretched. 7. squalid, poor. mean3 /meen/, n. 1. Usually, means. (used with a sing. or pl. v.) an agency, instrument, or method used to attain an end: The telephone is a means of communication. There are several means of solving the problem. 2. means, a. available resources, esp. money: They lived beyond their means. b. considerable financial resources; riches: a man of means. 3. something that is midway between two extremes; something intermediate: to seek a mean between cynicism and blind faith. 4. Math. a. a quantity having a value intermediate between the values of other quantities; an average, esp. the arithmetic mean. b. either the second or third term in a proportion of four terms. 5. Statistics. expected value. See mathematical expectation (def. 2). 6. Logic. the middle term in a syllogism. 7. by all means, a. (in emphasis) certainly: Go, by all means. b. at any cost; without fail. 8. by any means, in any way; at all: We were not surprised at the news by any means. 9. by means of, with the help of; by the agency of; through: We crossed the stream by means of a log. 10. by no means, in no way; not at all: The prize is by no means certain. adj. 11. occupying a middle position or an intermediate place, as in kind, quality, degree, or time: a mean speed; a mean course; the mean annual rainfall. [1300-50; ME mene < MF meen, var. of meien < L medianus; see MEDIAN] |
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