mean
/min/ adjective A2- 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. · You hurt her feelings - that was a mean thing to do.· 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.
- 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.
- Hearty; spicy.
- Accomplished with great skill; deft; hard to compete with. · Your mother can roll a mean cigarette.· He hits a mean backhand.
Comparative meaner · Superlative meanest
From the library
“Well, then, with the first money I touch, I mean you to have a small house, with a garden in which to plant clematis, nasturtiums, and honeysuckle.
“What do you mean?”
What else can a strapping chap of twenty-one mean with a fine wench of seventeen?”
Marilla really did not know how to talk to the child, and her uncomfortable ignorance made her crisp and curt when she did not mean to be.
Other matches
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