golden mean
A position of balance between excess and deficiency.
He who chooses the golden mean safely avoids both the hovel and the palace
mean
/miːn/
adj 7verb 5noun 5name 1
Collocations
6(adj.)
VERBS
be, feel, seem | become
ADV
really, very
It was very mean to laugh at her when she fell down the stairs.
a bit, pretty, rather, slightly
My older brother can be a bit mean to me when he's in a bad mood.
PREP
to
She was mean to her younger brother when they were growing up together.
with
My uncle is quite mean with compliments and rarely praises anyone's work.
Definitions
verb
1
To intend.
I didn't mean to knock your tooth out.
I mean to go to Arévalo in Spain this summer; been meaning to tell you for weeks, but I've just found the time.
2
To intend.
Don't be angry; she meant well.
3
To intend.
Actually this desk was meant for the subeditor.
Man was not meant to question such things.
4
To intend.
Your reasoning seems needlessly abstruse, complex, and verbose for me. I mean, could you dumb it down for my sake?
5
To convey (a meaning).
The sky is red this morning—does that mean we're in for a storm?
There are four weekly services to Pyongyang (; Pingrang; hard-sleeper ¥1164-1214, soft-sleeper ¥1692-1737). The K27 and K28 both leave twice a week from Beijing Train Station, meaning there’s a train on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday.
adj
1
Common; general.
2
Of a common or low origin, grade, or quality; common; humble.
a man of mean parentage
a mean abode
3
Low in quality or degree; inferior; poor; shabby.
a mean appearance
a mean dress
4
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.
5
Of little value or worth; worthy of little or no regard; contemptible; despicable.
The Roman legions and great Caesar found / Our fathers no mean foes.
adj
1
Having the mean (see noun below) as its value; average.
The mean family has 2.4 children.
In the mountain region of A-erh-t'ai Shan and Hsiang-t'ien Shan⁷, if the mean west wind velocity is five meters per second, the high tendency at 700mb on the anterior mountain slope may exceed 40 meters in 12 hours.
2
Middling; intermediate; moderately good, tolerable.
I have declared in the causes what harm costiveness hath done in procuring this disease; if it be so noxious, the opposite must needs be good, or mean at least, as indeed it is […].
being of middle age and a mean stature
Thesaurus
Synonyms
verb — mean or intend to express or convey
adjective — of no value or worth
adjective — (used of sums of money) so small in amount as to deserve con
adjective — (used of persons or behavior) characterized by or indicative
- mingy
- miserly
- tight
adjective — characterized by malice
adjective — having or showing an ignoble lack of honor or morality
- base
- meanspirited
adjective — marked by poverty befitting a beggar
Antonyms
Idioms & Phrases
mean the world to
To be loved or cared about a great deal by.
He meant the world to her.
what does … mean
Used to ask the meaning of a word (replace “…” with a word).
treat them mean, keep them keen
A woman will be more interested in a man if he is unkind to her.
mean business
To be serious, especially where achieving a specific end against opposition is concerned.
Say in a week from now, I will undertake to deliver this most marvellous masterpiece, if 'Look here, 'Tony, I mean business, if you don't.
Example Bank
601
I didn't mean to knock your tooth out.
Wiktionary02
I mean to go to Arévalo in Spain this summer; been meaning to tell you for weeks, but I've just found the time.
Wiktionary03
I meant to take the car in for a smog check, but it slipped my mind.
Wiktionary04
a man of mean parentage
Wiktionary05
a mean abode
Wiktionary06
Thinke you I weigh this treaſure more than you? Not all the Gold in Indias welthy armes, Shall buy the meaneſt ſouldier in my traine.
WiktionaryUsage Notes
i Register
In some senses, mean is marked as obsolete, archaic, historical. Watch for register when choosing this word.
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