mean

I

v

1. intend, have in mind, have in heart, have in view; contemplate, think of, talk of, dream of; purpose, plan, have plans or intentions, expect; aspire to, hope to, aim to, drive at, strive for, work for, labor for, pursue.

2. meant for

made for, destined for, predestined for, preordained for, predetermined for, fated for; well-suited, suited, well-matched, perfect, perfectly matched.

3. denote, designate, denominate, indicate, betoken, show; signify, stand for, symbolize, represent, typify; prefigure, foreshadow, portend, presage, omen, augur; connote, imply, import, purport, propose, suggest, allude to, drive at, get at, intimate, hint at, insinuate.

4. mean well

have good intentions, have one's heart in the right place.

II

adj

1. inferior, low-grade, cheap, catchpenny, bargain-basement, U.S. Si. cheesy, Brit. Si. humpty, flimsy, jerry-built; second-rate, second-class, third-class, third-rate; mediocre, unprofessional, amateurish, not up to par or snuff; half-baked, Sl. half-assed, sloppy, shoddy, slipshod, sleazy; poor, grubstreet, Inf. no-good, Inf. junky, trashy, rubbishy, worthless, useless, valueless; bad, Inf. lousy, Sl. crummy, Sl. crappy, miserable; awful, terrible, wretched, horrible, disgusting.

2. plebeian, proletarian, humble, modest, low, lowly; of low birth, lowborn, baseborn, earthborn; simple, plain, homespun, homely, rustic; common, commonplace, ordinary, average, mediocre; undistinguished, Inf. inglorious, unknown, obscure.

3. small-time, one-horse, bush, bush-league, minor-league; Sl. two-bit, Inf. penny-ante, lightweight, Sl. small potatoes, small fry, Sl. mickey mouse; insignificant, unimportant, of little or no import, negligible, nugatory, inconsiderable, inconsequential; trivial, trifling, paltry, beggarly, petty, niggling; small, minor, puny, dinky, piddling, Inf. picayune, insubstantial, unsubstantial.

4. unimposing, shabby, scruffy, seedy, broken-down, run-down, worn-down; poor, squalid, mangy, wretched, sorry, abject, miserable; dismal, abysmal, dreary, Literary. drear.

5. small-minded, narrow-minded, selfish; meanspir-ited, petty, ungenerous, unaccommodating, unforgiving; ignoble, base, low, low-down, dishonorable, disreputable, discreditable, disgraceful, shabby, shameful, scandalous, opprobrious; corrupt, depraved, perverted, debased, miscreant; vile, sordid, bad, foul, rotten, nasty, ugly, black; scurvy, contemptible, despicable, execrable, abominable; cruel, brutal, brutish, inhuman, bestial, beastly; terrible, awful, Inf. godawful, horrible, horrendous, horrid; nefarious, heinous, infamous, atrocious, flagitious, villainous, criminal, hateful, odious; wicked, evil, iniquitous, sinful, Archaic. facinorous, peccant; black-hearted, malevolent, sinister, diabolic, diabolical, satanic, evil-minded; malicious, vicious, spiteful, invidious, maleficent; dishonest, unscrupulous, crooked, obliquitous, fraudulent, tricky, deceitful, insidious; rascally, scoundrelly, knavish, thievish, roguish; untrustworthy, disloyal, false, unfaithful, perfidious, traitorous, treacherous, reptilian.

6. stingy, niggardly, miserly, parsimonious, carking, skinflinty; penurious, tight, tight-fisted, closefisted; cheap, Rare. illiberal, penny-pinching, grudging, begrudging, stinting.

7. scanty, meager, skimpy, scrimpy, scant; meanly small, beggarly, paltry, poor, piddling, Inf. measly, mere; slight, slender, narrow, puny, very little; insufficient, inadequate, short, shy; insubstantial, nominal, minute, negligible.

8. offensive, disagreeable, unpleasant, rude, obnoxious; currish, snarling, nasty, curmudgeonly, churlish, irascible; cross, surly, ill-natured, bad-tempered, sour; crabbed, grouchy, grumpy, cantankerous, cranky, crotchety.

9.Slang. skillful, impressive, very good, great, excellent.

III

n

1.Usu. means

agency, factor, medium, vehicle; method, mode, manner, way, course, route, road, alternative, option; process, measures, actions, procedures; instrument, device, contrivance, appliance, convenience, machine, apparatus; aid, auxiliary, expedient, resort, resource, reserve.

2. means

a. resources, capital, finances, income, revenue, profit, gain, lucre, Sl. velvet; wherewithal, funds, money, cash, ready cash, U.S. bankroll, cold or hard cash, Inf. pocket; paper money, bills, greenbacks, dollars, Sl. wad; Sl. dough, U.S. Sl. bucks, Sl. shekels, Sl. bread.b. substance, wealth, capital, riches, Disparaging. pelf; mammon, affluence, opulence, fortune, millions, billions; possessions, property, estate.

3. median, midpoint, middle or middle point, center or center point; medium, middle state, average, norm, normal; golden mean, happy medium, middle road or way, compromise, moderation, moderateness; mediocrity.

4. by all means

a. at any cost, no matter what, without fail.b. certainly, of course, surely, definitely, absolutely, positively.

5. by no means

in no way, not at all, Inf. no way.

6. not by any means

not in any way, absolutely not, positively not, most definitely not.

adj

7. middling, average, mediocre, fair-to-middling, so-so, Inf.O.K., Inf. all right, acceptable, passable, tolerable; Inf. nothing great, no great shakes, Inf. no big deal, Inf. nothing to write home about, Inf. nothing to get excited or worked up about.