mean
verb (used with object)
to have in mind as one's purpose or intention.
has been meaning
-
present perfect progressiveof mean (3rd person singular).present perfect progressive
Used to describe an action that began in the past, has continued continuously, and is still in progress.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Her family has been meaning to relocate to Nigeria for a while but has not done so earlier because of the children's education.
From BBC ● Mar. 29, 2025
Patrons flock to her immediately at Nyum Bai, a small Cambodian restaurant in Oakland she has been meaning to try.
From The Guardian ● Jan. 4, 2019
Max has been meaning to escape Amabel, but she tracks him down.
From The Guardian ● Mar. 18, 2017
Probably not, but the poet has been meaning to check out Miami anyway—and free verse is really, really hard.
From The New Yorker ● Feb. 26, 2017
She has other questions but she decides they are best saved for someone else to whom she has been meaning to pay a visit.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
