mean business

Idioms and Phrases

Be in earnest. For example, He really means business with this deadline . This idiom uses business in the sense of “a serious endeavor.” [Mid-1800s]

Example Sentences

Her brown-velvet eyes often soothed me, although her eyebrows added to her every demand: “I mean business!”

From The Daily Beast

John Kerry means business, and though their comments were brief, it seems that Livni and Erekat also mean business.

From The Daily Beast

Death of the I-mean-business-older dude (and subsequent substance abuse).

From The Daily Beast

She'll soon wilt when she sees we mean business—either go, or take a chaperon, or marry the man, whichever she prefers.

From Project Gutenberg

I glanced from this Goliath to his little, bird-eyed spouse, and wondered if he had ever tried to mean business with her.

From Project Gutenberg

A bill stamp is a thing that often turns up convenient with gents as mean business like Mr. Vavasor and you.

From Project Gutenberg

The first thing I heard Mr. Davis say, was "Damn mean business."

From Project Gutenberg

It was equivalent to saying to the officer that the execution of the law was a mean business.

From Project Gutenberg