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meant to have in the mind as a purpose intend sometimes used interjectionally with I, chiefly in informal speech for emphasor to introduce a phrase restating the point of a preceding phrase The first known use: before the 12th century |
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Word Structure |
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5 Letters, 1 Syllable |
meant |
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4 Phonemes |
m e n t |
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onset, rime |
m eant |
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Morpheme |
meant |
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Sentence Examples The word meant one thing in Shakespeare's day, but it means something else now. Red means “stop” and green means “go. Don't distort what she meant by taking her words out of context. He's very ambitious, and I mean that as a compliment. She's not getting any thinner, if you know what I mean. She says she didn't mean anything by what she did. Take all these temperatures and calculate their mean. |
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Common Phrases be meant to (do something) To be obliged or supposed to do something. be meant to be To be intended as something in particular. mean (one) no harm To have no intention of causing harm, offense, or negative effects (to one). mean (something) as (something else) To have a particular meaning or intention when saying or doing something. Often used in negative constructions. mean (something) by (something) To have some hidden or ulterior meaning, judgment, or intention behind one's words or actions. Often used in questions and negative constructions. mean (something) for the best To intend for one's actions to produce a positive outcome. mean business To be grave and resolute; to be serious about what one is promising or proposing to do. mean for To intend for something to be received, heard, or understood by a particular person. A noun or pronoun can be used between "mean" and "for"; often used in passive constructions. mean no offense To not imply or intend any offensive meaning in what one says or does. Usually used in the past tense. mean nothing Literally, to have no discernible meaning to someone; to be incomprehensible (to someone). mean the world to (one) To be ardently loved by or exceptionally important to one. mean to (do something) To have the intention, desire, or obligation to do something. mean to (one) To be of importance, significance, or worth to one. A noun or pronoun can be used between "mean" and "to." mean to say To intend to say; to really mean. mean well To have good intentions. The phrase implies that despite such intentions, one is inept, unhelpful, or a nuisance. meant to be Intended to have a particular meaning or quality. no offense meant What I have said or am about to say is not meant to offend or insult you, even though it could be interpreted that way. not mean (one) any harm To have no intention of causing harm, offense, or negative effects (to one). not mean any offense To not imply or intend any offensive meaning in what one says or does. Usually used in the past tense. supposed to Intended, expected, or believed to do something. |
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Related Words Sound the same but are spelled differently.
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Collocations The habitual juxtaposition of a particular word with another word or words with a frequency greater than chance.
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Neighborhood
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Deeper Dive Learn more about meant . |
ignite by amuz