The word meant one thing in Shakespeare's day, but it means something else now. Red means “stop” and green means “go.” Can you tell me what my dream means? What was meant by the poet? Don't distort what she meant by taking her words out of context. He's very ambitious, and I mean that as a compliment. It's a very easy question.
“Meant” is the past tense and the past participle of the verb “Mean”, which is to express or represent something, such as an idea, thought, or fact. Whenever you need to refer to this concept in the past tense, you should use “Meant”.
You use meant to to say that something or someone was intended to be or do a particular thing, especially when they have failed to be or do it. I can't say any more, it's meant to be a big secret. The decor was meant to keep the mind concentrated on the making of money. I'm meant to be on holiday.
Definition of meant verb in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.
intend: [~ + object] She meant no harm.[ ~ + to + verb]: I've been meaning to call you, but things got too busy. [no object] I'm sure they meant well, but they didn't finish the job.
When we talk or write about something that happened in the past, we often change the form of our verbs. This is called using the “ past tense.” Today, let’s clear up a common question: when talking about the past, should we say “mean” or “meant”?
Understanding the correct usage of “mean” and “meant” is crucial for clear and effective communication in English. The verb “mean” has multiple meanings and its past tense form, “meant,” is frequently used in everyday conversations and writing.
