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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.

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.

What does it mean to you to be a good father?

From The Wall Street Journal • May 4, 2026

“That’s what yesterday’s decision should mean to everybody.”

From Slate • Apr. 30, 2026

What does “financial security” mean to you personally?

From MarketWatch • Apr. 29, 2026

There is always a debate about where the semi-finals should be played, but I know how much it will mean to be there this time, for everyone involved.

From BBC • Apr. 24, 2026

“Sayeh, you think I’m being mean to you, don’t you?”

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

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.