mean to do something
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Meaning · English
intend to do something
Literally: have a hostile intention
Register: neutral
Examples
I meant to call you yesterday
AI-drafted example auto-approved by rule (illustrative, not a corpus attestation)
Sources & notes
Everyday learner phrase (CEFR B1); level cross-referenced from published learner lists. Definition pending editorial review. Definition drafted by AI (@cf/meta/llama-3.3-70b-instruct-fp8-fast) and auto-approved by rule on 2026-08-01; pending editor spot-check.
Common questions
What does “mean to do something” mean?
intend to do something Literally: have a hostile intention
Is “mean to do something” formal or informal?
mean to do something is generally neutral.