Tra từ mean - Từ điển Oxford Advanced Learner 8th

mean [mean means meant meaning meaner meanest] verb, adjective, noun BrE [miːn] NAmE [miːn]
verb (meant, meantBrE [ment] ; NAmE [ment] )

HAVE AS MEANING
1. (not used in the progressive tenses)to have sth as a meaning
•~ sth What does this sentence mean?
•What is meant by ‘batch processing’?
•~ sth to sb Does the name ‘Jos Vos’ mean anything to you (= do you know who he is)?
•~ (that)… The flashing light means (that) you must stop.

INTEND AS MEANING
2. (not used in the progressive tenses)to intend to say sth on a particular occasion
•~ sth What did he mean by that remark?
• ‘Perhaps we should try another approach.’ ‘ What do you mean? (= I don't understand what you are suggesting.) ’
•What do you mean, you thought I wouldn't mind? (= of course I mind and I am very angry)
•What she means is that there's no point in waiting here.
•I always found him a little strange, if you know what I mean (= if you understand what I mean by ‘strange’).
•I know what you mean (= I understand and feel sympathy). I hated learning to drive too.
• (informal)It was like— weird. Know what I mean?
•I see what you mean (= I understand although I may not agree), but I still think it's worth trying.
•See what I mean (= I was right and this proves it, doesn't it)? She never agrees to anything I suggest.
•‘But Pete doesn't know we're here!’ ‘ That's what I mean! (= that's what I have been trying to tell you.) ’
•Do you mean Ann Smith or Mary Smith?
•~ (that)… Did he mean (that) he was dissatisfied with our service?
•You mean (= are you telling me) we have to start all over again?

HAVE AS PURPOSE
3. to have sth as a purpose or intention
Syn: ↑intend
•~ sth What did she mean by leaving so early (= why did she do it)?
• Don't laugh! I mean it (= I am serious).
•He means trouble (= to cause trouble).
•~ sth as sth Don't be upset— I'm sure she meant it as a compliment.
•~ what… He means what he says (= is not joking, exaggerating, etc.).
•~ sth for sb/sth The chair was clearly meant for a child.
•Don't be angry. I'm sure she meant it for the best (= intended to be helpful).
•~ to do sth She means to succeed.
•I'm sorry I hurt you. I didn't mean to.
•I'm feeling very guilty— I've been meaning to call my parents for days, but still haven't got around to it.
•~ sb/sth to do sth I didn't mean you to read the letter.
•You're meant to (= you are supposed to) pay before you go in.
•~ (that)… (formal)I never meant (that) you should come alone.

INTEND SB TO BE/DO STH
4. often passive to intend sb to be or do sth
•~ sb for sth/sb I was never meant for the army (= did not have the qualities needed to become a soldier).
•Duncan and Makiko were meant for each other (= are very suitable as partners).
•~ sb/sth to be sth His father meant him to be an engineer.
•She did everything to get the two of them together, but I guess it just wasn't meant to be.

HAVE AS RESULT
5. to have sth as a result or a likely result
Syn: ↑entail
•~ sth Spending too much now will mean a shortage of cash next year.
•~ to be/do sth Do you have any idea what it means to be poor?
•~ (that)… We'll have to be careful with money but that doesn't mean (that) we can't enjoy ourselves.
•~ doing sth This new order will mean working overtime.
•~ sb/sth doing sth The injury could mean him missing next week's game.

BE IMPORTANT
6. no passive ~ sth to sb to be of value or importance to sb
• Your friendship means a great deal to me.
•$20 means a lot (= represents a lot of money) when you live on $100 a week.
• Money means nothing to him.
•Her children mean the world to her.
Verb forms:

Word Origin:
v. Old English mænan West Germanic Dutch meenen German meinen Indo-European ↑mindadj. senses 1 to 4 and adj. senses 6 to 8 Middle English Old English gemǣne Germanic Indo-European Latin communis ‘common’ ‘common to two or more people’ ‘inferior in rank’ ‘ignoble, small-minded’ adj. sense 5 and n. Middle English Old French meien Latin medianus ‘middle’ medius ‘mid’

Thesaurus:
mean verb
1. T (not used in the progressive tenses)
•What does this sentence mean?
indicate • • imply • • mark • |formal signify • • denote • |especially journalism signal •
mean/indicate/imply/signify sth to sb
mean/indicate/imply/signify that…
mean/indicate/mark/signify/denote/signal the beginning/start/arrival/end of sth
2. T (not used in the progressive tenses)
•What do you mean by that remark?
suggest • • hint • • imply • |spoken what sb is getting/driving at • |formal intend • |disapproving insinuate •
mean/suggest by/as sth
mean/suggest/hint/imply/insinuate that…
seem/appear to mean/suggest/hint/imply sth
3. T
•I didn't mean to hurt you.
intend • • plan • • aim • |formal propose •
mean/intend/plan/aim/propose to do sth
sb originally meant/intended/planned sth
4. T, usually passive (not used in the progressive tenses)
•His father meant him to be an engineer.
be intended to for/as/to be sth • • design • • be aimed at sth •
be meant/designed/intended for/as sth
be meant/designed/intended to be/do sth
5. T
•This order will mean working overtime.
involve • • entail • • spell • |formal necessitate • • imply •
sth means/implies that…
sth means/involves/entails/necessitates/implies a/an increase/reduction
sth usually/inevitably/necessarily/actually means/involves/entails/implies sth

Language Bank:
i.e.
Explaining what you mean
▪ Some poems are mnemonics, i.e. ▪ they are designed to help you remember something.
▪ Some poems are mnemonics, that is to say ▪, they are designed to help you remember something.
▪ Mnemonic poems, that is ▪ poems designed to help you remember something, are an excellent way to learn lists.
▪ A limerick's rhyme scheme is A–A–B–B–A. In other words ▪, the first, second, and fifth lines all rhyme with one another, while the third and fourth lines have their own rhyme.
▪ In this exercise the reader is encouraged to work out the meaning, or rather ▪ the range of meanings, of the poem.
▪ This is a poem about death, or, more precisely ▪, dying.
▪ He says his poems deal with ‘the big issues’, by which he means ▪ love, loss, grief and death.
Language Bank at ↑about

Example Bank:
•‘But Pete doesn't know we're here!’ ‘ That's what I mean! ’
•‘Perhaps we should try another approach.’ ‘ What do you mean? ’
•Do you mean Steve Jones or Alex Jones?
•Does the name ‘David Berwick’ mean anything to you?
•Don't be angry. I'm sure she meant it for the best.
•Don't be upset— I'm sure he meant it as a compliment.
•Don't laugh! I mean it.
•He means trouble.
•He means what he says.
•I always found him a little strange, if you know what I mean.
•I didn't mean to read your letter.
•I know what you mean. I hated learning to drive too.
•I see what you mean, but I still think it's worth trying.
•I was never meant for the army.
•I'm sorry I hurt you. I didn't mean to.
•I've been meaning to call her, but I've been so busy lately.
•It was like— weird. Know what I mean?
•Mr President, does this mean an end to the current conflict?
•Philip and Kim were meant for each other.
•See what I mean She never agrees to anything I suggest.
•The cost would have meant financial ruin for us.
•The house was clearly meant to be a family home.
•The injury could mean him missing next week's game.
•There was a rack by the door presumably meant for umbrellas.
•They are not using the system in the way the manufacturer meant it to be used.
•Touching the wires means instant death.
•We'll have to be careful with money but that doesn't mean (that) we can't enjoy ourselves.
•What did she mean by leaving so early = why did she do it?
•What do you mean, you thought I wouldn't mind?
•What is meant by ‘batch processing’?
•What she means is that there is no point in waiting here.
•You mean we have to start all over again?
•You're meant to pay before you go in.
Idioms: ↑I mean ▪ ↑happy mean ▪ ↑mean business ▪ ↑mean no harm ▪ ↑mean to say ▪ ↑mean well ▪ ↑meant to be something ▪ ↑no mean … ▪ ↑not mean any harm
Derived Words: ↑meanly ▪ ↑meanness

adjective (mean·er, mean·est)

NOT GENEROUS
1. (BrE) (NAmE cheap)not willing to give or share things, especially money
•She's always been mean with money.
Opp: ↑generous
see also ↑stingy

UNKIND
2. ~ (to sb) (of people or their behaviour)unkind, for example by not letting sb have or do sth
•Don't be so mean to your little brother!

ANGRY/VIOLENT
3. (especially NAmE)likely to become angry or violent
•That's a mean-looking dog.

SKILFUL
4. (informal, especially NAmE)very good and skilful
•He's a mean tennis player.
•She plays a mean game of chess.

AVERAGE
5. only before noun (technical)average; between the highest and the lowest, etc
•the mean temperature

INTELLIGENCE
6. (formal) (of a person's understanding or ability)not very great
•This should be clear even to the meanest intelligence.

POOR
7. (literary)poor and dirty in appearance
•mean houses/streets
8. (old-fashioned)born into or coming from a low social class
•These rights apply even to the meanest labourer.

Word Origin:
v. Old English mænan West Germanic Dutch meenen German meinen Indo-European ↑mindadj. senses 1 to 4 and adj. senses 6 to 8 Middle English Old English gemǣne Germanic Indo-European Latin communis ‘common’ ‘common to two or more people’ ‘inferior in rank’ ‘ignoble, small-minded’ adj. sense 5 and n. Middle English Old French meien Latin medianus ‘middle’ medius ‘mid’

Thesaurus:
mean adj.
1. (BrE, disapproving)
•He was too mean to buy her a decent present.
frugal • |AmE, informal, disapproving cheap • |informal, disapproving stingy • |approving thrifty •
Opp: generous
mean/frugal/stingy with sth
Mean, cheap or stingy? Mean and stingy can describe a person or an amount of money; cheap can only describe a person.
2. (especially spoken)
•Don't be so mean to your little sister!
unkind • • hurtful • • unpleasant • • obnoxious • |formal objectionable • |especially spoken nasty •
Opp: generous
be mean/unkind/hurtful/unpleasant/obnoxious/objectionable/nasty to sb
be mean/unkind/nasty of sb (to do sth)
a/an mean/unkind/hurtful/nasty thing to say/do

Example Bank:
•He's rather mean when it comes to spending money on the children.
•He's so mean to his mother!
•I thought it was really mean of him not to let her use the car.
•She's very mean with her money.
•That was a pretty mean trick.
•Don't be so mean to your little brother!
•Don't be so mean with the chocolate sauce.
•He has a mean streak in him.
•It was difficult to manage the department on such a mean budget.
•They were too mean to buy the kids proper beds.

noun
see also ↑means

MIDDLE WAY
1. ~ (between A and B) a quality, condition, or way of doing sth that is in the middle of two extremes and better than either of them
•He needed to find a mean between frankness and rudeness.

AVERAGE
2. (also arithˌmetic ˈmean) (mathematics)the value found by adding together all the numbers in a group, and dividing the total by the number of numbers
see also ↑geometric mean

Word Origin:
v. Old English mænan West Germanic Dutch meenen German meinen Indo-European ↑mindadj. senses 1 to 4 and adj. senses 6 to 8 Middle English Old English gemǣne Germanic Indo-European Latin communis ‘common’ ‘common to two or more people’ ‘inferior in rank’ ‘ignoble, small-minded’ adj. sense 5 and n. Middle English Old French meien Latin medianus ‘middle’ medius ‘mid’

See also: ↑arithmetic mean ▪ ↑cheap