Mean vs. Vile
Difference Between Mean and Vile
Meanverb
To be used to convey; denote
"'The question is,' said Alice, 'whether you can make words mean so many different things'" (Lewis Carroll).Vileadjective
Morally depraved; ignoble or wicked
a vile traitor.vile accusations.Meanverb
To act as a symbol of; signify or represent
In this poem, the budding flower means youth.Vileadjective
Disgusting; repulsive
vile effluent running down the city streets.Meanverb
To intend to convey or indicate
"No one means all he says, and yet very few say all they mean, for words are slippery and thought is viscous" (Henry Adams).Vileadjective
Unpleasant or objectionable
vile weather.Meanverb
To have as a purpose or an intention; intend
I meant to go running this morning, but I overslept.Vileadjective
Miserably poor and degrading; wretched
a vile existence.Meanverb
To design, intend, or destine for a certain purpose or end
a building that was meant for storage.a student who was meant to be a scientist.Vileadjective
Morally low; base; despicable.
Meanverb
To have as a consequence; bring about
Friction means heat.Vileadjective
Causing physical or mental repulsion; horrid.
I glimpsed a vile squid-like creature in the depths.Meanverb
To have the importance or value of
The opinions of the critics meant nothing to him. She meant so much to me.Vileadjective
morally reprehensible;
would do something as despicable as murderugly crimesthe vile development of slavery appalled themMeanverb
To have intentions of a specified kind; be disposed
They mean well but lack tact.Vileadjective
thoroughly unpleasant;
filthy (or foul or nasty or vile) weather we're havingMeanadjective
Lacking in kindness; unkind
The teacher was not being mean in asking you to be quiet.Vileadjective
causing or able to cause nausea;
a nauseating smellnauseous offala sickening stenchMeanadjective
Cruel, spiteful, or malicious
a mean boy who liked to make fun of others.Meanadjective
Expressing spite or malice
gave me a mean look.Meanadjective
Tending toward or characterized by cruelty or violence
mean streets.Meanadjective
Extremely unpleasant or disagreeable
the meanest storm in years.Meanadjective
Ignoble; base
a mean motive. ].Meanadjective
Occupying a middle or intermediate position between two extremes.
Meanadjective
Intermediate in size, extent, quality, time, or degree; medium.
Meannoun
Something having a position, quality, or condition midway between extremes; a medium.
Meannoun
A number that typifies a set of numbers, such as a geometric mean or an arithmetic mean.
Meannoun
The average value of a set of numbers.
Meannoun
(Logic) The middle term in a syllogism.
Meannoun
means (used with a sing. or pl. verb) A method, a course of action, or an instrument by which an act can be accomplished or an end achieved.
Meannoun
Money, property, or other wealth
You ought to live within your means.Meannoun
Great wealth
a woman of means.Meanverb
To intend.
Meanverb
(transitive) To intend, to plan (to do); to have as one's intention.
I didn't mean to knock your tooth out.I mean to go to Baddeck this summer.I meant to take the car in for a smog check, but it slipped my mind.Meanverb
(intransitive) To have intentions of a given kind.
Don't be angry; she meant well.Meanverb
To intend (something) for a given purpose or fate; to predestine.
Actually this desk was meant for the subeditor.Man was not meant to question such things.Meanverb
To convey meaning.
Meanverb
(transitive) To convey (a given sense); to signify, or indicate (an object or idea).
I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean.The sky is red this morning—does that mean we're in for a storm?Meanverb
(transitive) Of a word, symbol etc: to have reference to, to signify.
What does this hieroglyph mean?Meanverb
(transitive) To have conviction in (something said or expressed); to be sincere in (what one says).
Does she really mean what she said to him last night?Say what you mean and mean what you say.Meanverb
(transitive) To result in; to bring about.
One faltering step means certain death.Meanverb
(transitive) To be important (to).
My home life means a lot to me.Meanverb
To lament.
Meanadjective
(obsolete) Common; general.
Meanadjective
Of a common or low origin, grade, or quality; common; humble.
a man of mean parentage/ a mean abodeMeanadjective
Low in quality or degree; inferior; poor; shabby.
a mean appearance/ mean dressMeanadjective
Without dignity of mind; destitute of honour; low-minded; spiritless; base.
a mean motiveMeanadjective
Of little value or account; worthy of little or no regard; contemptible; despicable.
Meanadjective
Ungenerous; stingy, tightfisted; North American English: cheap; formal: niggardly, penurious, miserly.
He's so mean. I've never seen him spend so much as five pounds on presents for his children.Meanadjective
Disobliging; pettily offensive or unaccommodating; small.
Meanadjective
Selfish; acting without consideration of others; unkind.
It was mean to steal the girl's piggy bank, but he just had to get uptown and he had no cash of his own.Meanadjective
Causing or intending to cause intentional harm; bearing ill will towards another; cruel; malicious.
Watch out for her, she's mean. I said good morning to her, and she punched me in the nose.Meanadjective
Powerful; fierce; harsh; damaging.
It must have been a mean typhoon that levelled this town.Meanadjective
Accomplished with great skill; deft; hard to compete with.
Your mother can roll a mean cigarette.He hits a mean backhand.Meanadjective
Difficult, tricky.
This problem is mean!Meanadjective
Having the mean (see noun below) as its value.
Meanadjective
(obsolete) Middling; intermediate; moderately good, tolerable.
Meannoun
A method or course of action used to achieve some result.
Meannoun
An intermediate step or intermediate steps.
Meannoun
Something which is intermediate or in the middle; an intermediate value or range of values; a medium.
Meannoun
The middle part of three-part polyphonic music; now specifically, the alto part in polyphonic music; an alto instrument.
Meannoun
(statistics) The average of a set of values, calculated by summing them together and dividing by the number of terms; the arithmetic mean.
Meannoun
(mathematics) Any function of multiple variables that satisfies certain properties and yields a number representative of its arguments; or, the number so yielded; a measure of central tendency.
Meannoun
(mathematics) Either of the two numbers in the middle of a conventionally presented proportion, as 2 and 3 in 1:2=3:6.
Meannoun
an average of n numbers computed by adding some function of the numbers and dividing by some function of n
Meanverb
mean or intend to express or convey;
You never understand what I mean!what do his words intend?Meanverb
have as a logical consequence;
The water shortage means that we have to stop taking long showersMeanverb
denote or connote;
`maison' means `house' in FrenchAn example sentence would show what this word meansMeanverb
have in mind as a purpose;
I mean no harmI only meant to help youShe didn't think to harm meWe thought to return early that nightMeanverb
have a specified degree of importance;
My ex-husband means nothing to meHappiness means everythingMeanverb
intend to refer to;
I'm thinking of good food when I talk about FranceYes, I meant you when I complained about people who gossip!Meanverb
destine or designate for a certain purpose;
These flowers were meant for youMeanadjective
approximating the statistical norm or average or expected value;
the average income in New England is below that of the nationof average height for his agethe mean annual rainfallMeanadjective
characterized by malice;
a hateful thing to doin a mean moodMeanadjective
having or showing an ignoble lack of honor or morality;
that liberal obedience without which your army would be a base rabbletaking a mean advantagechok'd with ambition of the meaner sortsomething essentially vulgar and meanspirited in politicsMeanadjective
excellent;
famous for a mean backhandMeanadjective
marked by poverty befitting a beggar;
a beggarly existence in the slumsa mean hutMeanadjective
used of persons or behavior; characterized by or indicative of lack of generosity;
a mean personhe left a miserly tipMeanadjective
used of sums of money; so small in amount as to deserve contempt
