mean to

Idioms

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.

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.

See Examples For:

mean to

What does it mean to make yourself at home somewhere when that home is also somebody else’s business?

From Salon ● Oct. 28, 2026

What “Is This It” and its underrated follow-up, “Room on Fire,” mean to original fans will differ from what they mean to listeners who meet the Strokes through more recent albums.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026

What would it mean to return to action against the Eagles?

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

None of it will mean to them what it means to me.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026

She hadn’t been mean to Sayeh at all.

From "The World According to Humphrey" by Betty G. Birney

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023