I mean

English

Particle

I mean

1. (colloquial) A delaying filler.
   • 2011, Jeremy Robert Hall, Summer Days:

     They were filth, utter filth. I mean, and this tops it. She even bought the video of her sister dying, or at least the sex act that killed her.

   • 2019 October 13, Jack Freeman (interviewer), “Everything Brian Kelly said after Notre Dame's win over USC”, 247Sports, IrishIllustrated.com:

     Q. [...] To rush for 306 yards against that group, how did you accomplish that?
     BRIAN KELLY: Well, look, I mean, I could stand up here and BS you guys all day and tell you we're the second coming of the Green Bay Packers rushing attack.

2. (colloquial) A mild intensifier.

   I must say the title puts me off as well. I mean, come on. Is this supposed to be original or creative?

3. (colloquial) An indication of approximation or uncertainty. (Can we add an example for this sense?)

Translations

delaying filler

• Arabic: يعني
• Finnish: siis (fi)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Hungarian: vagyis (hu), úgy értem, akarom mondani

mild intensifier

• Finnish: siis (fi)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Hungarian: azért (hu), mégiscsak

indicating approximation or uncertainty

• Arabic: يعني
• Finnish: noin (fi)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Hungarian: úgy értem, mármint, akarom mondani

Synonyms

• (delayed filler): like, well, you know
• (mild intensifier): like, well, you know
• (indicating approximation or uncertainty): like, well, you know

Anagrams

• -amine, Maine, amine, anime, animé, maine, manie, minae, minæ