mean to

Idioms  

1. Intend to, as in I meant to go running this morning but got up too late, or I'm sorry I broke it—I didn't mean to. This idiom was first recorded in 1560.

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Example Sentences

And it will be up to parents, governments and society to answer questions like, “What does it mean to be human,” and to figure out how to “insure against unintended consequences,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal

What do these historic firsts mean to you?

From Los Angeles Times

What does that relationship with Richard mean to you?

From Los Angeles Times

“I don’t mean to be harsh but...”

From Literature

As far as I know they weren’t mean to the animals, but the animals they weren’t mean to were mean all by themselves, like their cat, which was crazy and had to be kept on a chain because it bit people.

From Literature