Mean vs. Bad — What's the Difference?

Behavior intended to harm or discomfort others.

Poor quality, undesirability, or harmfulness.

Targets individuals or groups with hostility.

Applies to a broad range of contexts without implying emotional impact.

Reflects negative aspects of personal interactions.

Arises from various factors, including lack of skill or negative circumstances.

Can evolve from negative emotions or attitudes.

Indicates something is not up to standard.

Aimed at causing emotional or physical pain.

Used to make judgments about quality or morality.

Unwilling to give or share things, especially money; not generous

Disobedient or naughty

Unkind, spiteful, or unfair

Disagreeable, unpleasant, or disturbing

(especially of a place) poor in quality and appearance; shabby

Unfavorable

Very skilful or effective; excellent

Not fresh; rotten or spoiled

There are several kinds of mean in mathematics, especially in statistics: For a data set, the arithmetic mean, also known as average or arithmetic average, is a central value of a finite set of numbers: specifically, the sum of the values divided by the number of values. The arithmetic mean of a set of numbers x1, x2, ..., xn is typically denoted by x ¯ {\displaystyle {\bar {x}}} .

Injurious in effect; detrimental

Intend to convey or refer to (a particular thing); signify

Not achieving an adequate standard; poor

Intend (something) to occur or be the case

Immoral or evil.

Have as a consequence or result

Vulgar or obscene

(of a quantity) calculated as a mean; average

Not working properly; defective

Equally far from two extremes

Full of or exhibiting faults or errors

The value obtained by dividing the sum of several quantities by their number; an average

Having no validity; void

A condition, quality, or course of action equally removed from two opposite extremes

Being so far behind in repayment as to be considered a loss

To be used to convey; denote

Severe; intense

To act as a symbol of; signify or represent

Being in poor health or in pain

To intend to convey or indicate

Being in poor condition; diseased

To have as a purpose or an intention; intend

Sorry; regretful

To design, intend, or destine for a certain purpose or end

Bad·der, bad·dest Slang Very good; great.

To have as a consequence; bring about

Something that is below standard or expectations, as of ethics or decency

To have the importance or value of

Badly.

To have intentions of a specified kind; be disposed

A past tense of bid.

Lacking in kindness; unkind

Unfavorable; negative; not good.

Cruel, spiteful, or malicious

Not suitable or fitting.

Expressing spite or malice

Not appropriate, of manners etc.

Tending toward or characterized by cruelty or violence

Unhealthy; liable to cause health problems.

Extremely unpleasant or disagreeable

(chiefly applied to a person's state of health) Sickly, unhealthy, unwell.

Ignoble; base

Not behaving; behaving badly; misbehaving; mischievous or disobedient.

Occupying a middle or intermediate position between two extremes.

Tricky; stressful; unpleasant.

Intermediate in size, extent, quality, time, or degree; medium.

Evil; wicked.

Something having a position, quality, or condition midway between extremes; a medium.

Faulty; not functional.

A number that typifies a set of numbers, such as a geometric mean or an arithmetic mean.

(of food) Spoiled, rotten, overripe.

The average value of a set of numbers.

(of breath) Malodorous; foul.

(Logic) The middle term in a syllogism.

False; counterfeit; illegitimate.

Means (used with a sing. or pl. verb) A method, a course of action, or an instrument by which an act can be accomplished or an end achieved.

Unskilled; of limited ability; not good.

Money, property, or other wealth

Of poor physical appearance.

Great wealth

(informal) Bold and daring.

To intend.

(slang) Good, superlative, excellent, cool.

(transitive) To intend, to plan (to do); to have as one's intention.

Severe, urgent.

(intransitive) To have as intentions of a given kind.

Overly promiscuous, licentious.

To intend (something) for a given purpose or fate; to predestine.

Not covered by funds on account.

(transitive) To intend an ensuing comment or statement as an explanation.[https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/i_mean%20I%20mean]

Badly.

To convey (a meaning).

Something that is bad; a harm or evil.

(transitive) To convey (a given sense); to signify, or indicate (an object or idea).

Error; mistake.

(transitive) Of a word, symbol etc: to have reference to, to signify.

An item (or kind of item) of merchandise with negative value; an unwanted good. Bad (economics)

(transitive) Of a person (or animal etc): to intend to express, to imply, to hint at, to allude.

Used to scold a misbehaving child or pet.

(transitive) To have conviction in (something said or expressed); to be sincere in (what one says).

(archaic) bid.

(transitive) To cause or produce (a given result); to bring about (a given result).

To shell (a walnut).

(usually with to) To be of some level of importance.

Bade.

To lament.

Wanting good qualities, whether physical or moral; injurious, hurtful, inconvenient, offensive, painful, unfavorable, or defective, either physically or morally; evil; vicious; wicked; - the opposite of good; as, a bad man; bad conduct; bad habits; bad soil; bad air; bad health; a bad crop; bad news.

(obsolete) Common; general.

That which is below standard or expectations as of ethics or decency;

Of a common or low origin, grade, or quality; common; humble.

Having undesirable or negative qualities;

Low in quality or degree; inferior; poor; shabby.

Very intense;

Without dignity of mind; destitute of honour; low-minded; spiritless; base.

Feeling physical discomfort or pain (`tough' is occasionally used colloquially for `bad');

Of little value or worth; worthy of little or no regard; contemptible; despicable.

(of foodstuffs) not in an edible or usable condition;

Ungenerous; stingy; tight-fisted.

Not capable of being collected;

Disobliging; pettily offensive or unaccommodating.

Below average in quality or performance;

Intending to cause harm, successfully or otherwise; bearing ill will towards another.

Nonstandard;

Powerful; fierce; strong.

Not financially safe or secure;

(colloquial) Accomplished with great skill; deft; hard to compete with.

Physically unsound or diseased;

Difficult, tricky.

Capable of harming;

Having the mean (see noun below) as its value; average.

Keenly sorry or regretful;

(obsolete) Middling; intermediate; moderately good, tolerable.

Characterized by wickedness or immorality;

A method or course of action used to achieve some result.

Reproduced fraudulently;

An intermediate step or intermediate steps.

Not working properly;

Something which is intermediate or in the middle; an intermediate value or range of values; a medium.

With great intensity (`bad' is a nonstandard variant for `badly');

The middle part of three-part polyphonic music; now specifically, the alto part in polyphonic music; an alto instrument.

Very much; strongly;

(statistics) The average of a set of values, calculated by summing them together and dividing by the number of terms; the arithmetic mean.

(mathematics) Any function of multiple variables that satisfies certain properties and yields a number representative of its arguments; or, the number so yielded; a measure of central tendency.

(mathematics) Either of the two numbers in the middle of a conventionally presented proportion, as 2 and 3 in 1:2=3:6.

To have in the mind, as a purpose, intention, etc.; to intend; to purpose; to design; as, what do you mean to do?

To signify; to indicate; to import; to denote.

To have a purpose or intention.

Destitute of distinction or eminence; common; low; vulgar; humble.

Wanting dignity of mind; low-minded; base; destitute of honor; spiritless; as, a mean motive.

Of little value or account; worthy of little or no regard; contemptible; despicable.

Of poor quality; as, mean fare.

Penurious; stingy; close-fisted; illiberal; as, mean hospitality.

Occupying a middle position; middle; being about midway between extremes.

Intermediate in excellence of any kind.

Average; having an intermediate value between two extremes, or between the several successive values of a variable quantity during one cycle of variation; as, mean distance; mean motion; mean solar day.

That which is mean, or intermediate, between two extremes of place, time, or number; the middle point or place; middle rate or degree; mediocrity; medium; absence of extremes or excess; moderation; measure.

A quantity having an intermediate value between several others, from which it is derived, and of which it expresses the resultant value; usually, unless otherwise specified, it is the simple average, formed by adding the quantities together and dividing by their number, which is called an arithmetical mean. A geometrical mean is the nth root of the product of the n quantities being averaged.

That through which, or by the help of which, an end is attained; something tending to an object desired; intermediate agency or measure; necessary condition or coagent; instrument.

Resources; property, revenue, or the like, considered as the condition of easy livelihood, or an instrumentality at command for effecting any purpose; disposable force or substance.

A part, whether alto or tenor, intermediate between the soprano and base; a middle part.

Meantime; meanwhile.

An average of n numbers computed by adding some function of the numbers and dividing by some function of n

Mean or intend to express or convey;

Have as a logical consequence;

Denote or connote;

Have in mind as a purpose;

Have a specified degree of importance;

Intend to refer to;

Destine or designate for a certain purpose;

Approximating the statistical norm or average or expected value;

Characterized by malice;

Having or showing an ignoble lack of honor or morality;

Excellent;

Marked by poverty befitting a beggar;

Used of persons or behavior; characterized by or indicative of lack of generosity;

Used of sums of money; so small in amount as to deserve contempt

Yes, mean behavior typically involves intentional harm or discomfort towards others.

Yes, a person can be considered mean if they intentionally harm others and bad if their actions or characteristics are undesirable or of poor quality.

Mean behavior is characterized by the intention to harm or discomfort others, often through hostile actions or words.

Yes, perceptions of mean and bad behavior can be subjective, influenced by personal values, experiences, and cultural background.

Bad refers to poor quality, undesirability, or harmfulness without necessarily implying the intent to harm, making it applicable in a wider range of contexts.

Yes, an action can be bad due to poor quality or negative consequences without being directed to harm someone, thus not being mean.

People might exhibit mean behavior due to various factors, including insecurity, jealousy, or a desire to exert control.

Objects are not typically considered mean, as mean implies intent, which objects lack.

Societal norms influence what is considered mean or bad, as cultural values determine acceptable behavior and standards of quality.

Mean behavior can damage relationships by causing distress, mistrust, and emotional harm to others.

Addressing bad behavior involves identifying its causes, communicating its effects, and encouraging positive change.

Consequences are important in defining actions as mean or bad, with mean actions specifically intending to cause harm and bad actions leading to negative outcomes.

Mitigating mean behavior involves education, fostering empathy, and creating environments that discourage such actions.

Yes, what is considered bad can change over time as societal values and standards evolve.

Intent is key in differentiating mean from bad, with mean actions being deliberate and bad actions not necessarily so.