mean to
Want to do something or plan to do it — especially when you did not actually do it yet.
Meanings
To intend to do something, especially when used in past tense to explain an unfulfilled intention.
"I've been meaning to call you for weeks — I'm so sorry I never did."
To not have intended to do something; to do something accidentally (used with negative).
"I didn't mean to hurt your feelings — I was just trying to be honest."
"I never meant to hurt anyone."
— Common expression in public apologies; widely attributed in interviews with public figures including celebrity apology culture reporting
Extremely common in everyday speech. Often used with negatives ('I didn't mean to') to express that something was an accident. Also used with 'have been meaning to' to describe long-standing intentions that have not yet been carried out. Very natural and idiomatic in informal speech.
Commonly used with
Forms
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Synonyms
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