mean

The word "mean" can be surprisingly flexible, and the sentence around it usually tells you which idea is intended.

One very common use is as an adjective for someone unkind, cruel, or unpleasant. A mean person may say hurtful things, mock others, or enjoy making someone feel bad. You might hear, "Don't be mean to her," when someone is acting without kindness. In another common sense, especially in everyday speech, "mean" can also describe someone as stingy, or not willing to share or spend money.

"Mean" also has an important use in math. The mean is the average of a group of numbers. You find it by adding the numbers and then dividing by how many numbers there are. For example, the mean of 3, 6, and 9 is 6. This is a standard school and statistics use.

As a verb, "mean" often tells what something shows, says, or stands for. A smile can mean welcome. A red light can mean stop. A high fever may mean that someone is sick. In this sense, the word connects one thing to its message or result.

It is also widely used for intention. If someone says, "I meant to call you," they are saying that they planned or intended to do it. If you ask, "What do you mean?" you are asking what the speaker is trying to say. That use is very common in daily conversation.

There are a few less common uses too. In older or more literary English, "mean" can describe something low in rank or humble in condition. In informal speech, it can even be positive, as in "a mean guitar solo," where it suggests impressive skill or force.

So this one word can point to character, money habits, averages, signs, and intention. That is why "mean" can seem tricky at first, but once you notice the context, the right sense usually becomes clear.