英语词汇“mean”的释义、区别辨析及用法例句-英语同义词词典

单词

mean

例句

verb | adjective

meanmean1 /min/ verb (past tense and past participle meant /ment/) ► mean

to have a particular meaning. Mean is used about words, symbols, or statements:

What does “abandon” mean?

The light means you are running out of gas.

It says “not suitable for children,” which means anyone under 16 years old.

► represent

if a shape, letter, object, etc. represents something, it is used as a sign (=picture or shape) or mark for that thing:

The brown areas on the map represent deserts.

The letter “a” represents several different sounds in the English language.

► signify AWL

to mean or represent something. Signify sounds more formal than mean or represent:

The eagle in the flag signifies freedom and power.

► symbolize AWL

if something symbolizes a quality or feeling, it represents it:

A wedding ring symbolizes a couple’s promises to each other.

► stand for

if a letter or group of letters stands for something, it is a short way of saying or writing it:

NATO stands for North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

➔ see mean to at plan to

verb | adjective

meanmean2 /min/ adjective ► mean

treating people in a way that is not nice and makes them unhappy:

Don’t be so mean to your little sister - give her the toy back.

Why does she say such mean things?

It was mean of you to laugh at his mistake.

► unkind

unkind means the same as mean but sounds a little more formal:

I started to shout, but then I realized I was being unkind to her. After all, she was only trying to help.

► hurtful

mean and making someone feel upset. You use hurtful about things that someone says or does:

During the argument he said some hurtful things which he later regretted.

► nasty

mean and seeming to enjoy making people unhappy:

He made a nasty comment about her weight.

► cruel

very mean and deliberately making someone suffer or feel unhappy:

He was cruel to his family, often saying terrible things or even hitting them.

► malicious

mean to someone because you want to upset, hurt, or cause problems for him or her. You often use malicious about things that people say or write:

Elena has never stolen anything - that is a malicious lie!

► spiteful

mean to someone, especially because you are jealous or angry:

The other women were spiteful and gave her the hardest work to do.

► vindictive

very mean and unfair because you want to harm someone who has harmed you:

She became bitter and vindictive after her husband left her, and she refused to let him see the children.

ANTONYMS ➔ see kind2, nice (1) ➔ see Describing People’s CharacterADVERBS: meanYou can make the adjectives that mean mean into adverbs by using an -ly ending: Mitchell laughed at her unkindly. | She had been treated cruelly by her first husband. | “I wouldn’t go out with you for anything,” she said spitefully.

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