Crossword clues for meanness
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Meanness \Mean"ness\, n.
-
The condition, or quality, of being mean; want of excellence; poorness; lowness; baseness; sordidness; stinginess.
This figure is of a later date, by the meanness of the workmanship.
--Addison. A mean act; as, to be guilty of meanness.
--Goldsmith.
Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
1550s, "weakness," from mean (adj.) + -ness. Sense of "baseness, poverty" is from 1650s; that of "stinginess" from 1755.
Wiktionary
n. 1 (context uncountable English) The condition, or quality, of being mean#Etymology_2; want of excellence; poorness; lowness; baseness; sordidness; stinginess. 2 A mean act; as, to be guilty of a '''meanness'''.
WordNet
n. the quality of being deliberately mean [syn: beastliness]
extreme stinginess [syn: minginess, niggardliness, niggardness, parsimony, parsimoniousness, tightness, tightfistedness, closeness]
Wikipedia
Usage examples of "meanness".
I was at first fascinated, as I pulled up the leather to peer out of the coach window, but this amazement turned to disgust as I perceived the shocking meanness of life in such a place.
This act of meanness had been brought to light by an explanation between the lady and the Englishman.
The full diabolical meanness of Jewry rallied around this man, and he stretched out his hands.
Ignorant of letters, careless of laws, the rusticity of his appearance and manners still betrayed in the most elevated fortune the meanness of his extraction.
He knew from Spiff that the Chief Wendle had a reputation for meanness and double-dealing.
The obscurity which covered the origin of Claudius, though it was afterwards embellished by some flattering fictions, sufficiently betrays the meanness of his birth.
What blameable pride, what meanness, in accepting gifts which draw upon me contempt and derision--I will no longer support it.
He is a gentleman of strict conscience, disdainful of all littleness and meanness and ready on the shortest notice to die any death you may please to mention rather than give occasion for the least impeachment of his integrity.
The meanness of her condition did not represent her misery as of little consequence in his eyes, nor did it appear to justify, or even to palliate, his guilt, in bringing that misery upon her.
And though his income, as you know, was so small, he never ran in debt, and by an exact but open oeconomy, escaped all imputation of meanness: while by forbearing either to conceal, or repine at his limited fortune, he blunted even the raillery of the dissipated, by frankly and good humouredly meeting it half way.
He had also betrayed a meanness that must always have been subjacent, since its appearance caused no surprise: there had been and there would be no feast for the young gentlemen, the warrant officers, the foremast hands, no drinks, no address, telling the good news and acknowledging their part in the successful voyage.
I mean, sure, it knocked the stuff out of me, scared the soul out one ear and back in the other, hit my wind and tore my gut, broke the bones and shook the wits, but, but, but, wife, but, but, but, clear sweet Meg, Meggy, Megan, I wish you were here, it might tamp the tobacco tars out of your half-ass lungs and bray the mossy graveyard backbreaking meanness from your marrow.
And Myron hated his busy meannesses more than he had the jolly scoundreldom of Jimmy Shanks.
Their faces changed, and all the meanness, conceit, cruelty, and sneakishness almost disappeared in one single expression of terror.
Pertinax, who modestly represented the meanness of his extraction, and pointed out several noble senators more deserving than himself of the empire, was constrained by their dutiful violence to ascend the throne, and received all the titles of Imperial power, confirmed by the most sincere vows of fidelity.