meanness

meanness — noun

1. the behaviour or attitude of a person who is reluctant to spend money or share w

1.名詞B2
釋義

the behaviour or attitude of a person who is reluctant to spend money or share what they own, even when it would be fair or reasonable to do so

例句

Alessia's meanness with money became a problem when the group tried to split the restaurant bill.

meanness with [something] — typical prepositional pattern

The landlord's meanness showed when he refused to fix the broken heater in the middle of winter.

同義詞
  • stinginess

    more common in everyday speech; purely about money or resources

  • miserliness

    stronger and more disapproving; suggests an extreme, life-warping refusal to spend

  • tightness

    informal; common in British English (e.g. 'tight with money')

反義詞
  • generosity

    willingness to give or share freely

  • liberality

    formal; a tendency to give large amounts without hesitation

文法句型

meanness + with + noun phrase

meanness + of + noun phrase

用法筆記

Unlike 'stinginess', which always implies fault, 'meanness' in this sense can sometimes be used with mild sympathy to describe someone driven by anxiety about money or scarcity.

常見錯誤

❌His meanness of money was obvious.
✅His meanness with money was obvious.
💡The correct preposition is 'with', not 'of', when specifying what someone is stingy about.

2. the quality of deliberately saying or doing things that hurt, embarrass, or upse

2.名詞B2
釋義

the quality of deliberately saying or doing things that hurt, embarrass, or upset other people, often in petty or small-minded ways

例句

Jisoo was surprised by the meanness of some comments left on her photography post.

meanness of [things said] — pattern for remarks/comments

The children at the playground did not understand the meanness behind the older boy's teasing.

meanness behind [action] — describing motivation

同義詞
  • cruelty

    stronger; suggests an active desire to cause pain or suffering, not just petty unkindness

  • spite

    more specific; refers to unkindness motivated by resentment or a desire to get back at someone

  • malice

    more formal and more intense; implies a deep, intentional wish to harm

反義詞
  • kindness

    the quality of being generous, helpful, and caring about other people

  • compassion

    stronger than kindness; involves a deep awareness of and sympathy for others' suffering

文法句型

meanness + towards + noun phrase

meanness + of + noun phrase

用法筆記

Frequently used with 'towards/to + person' to specify the target. The related adjective 'mean' (B1) is far more common in everyday speech; 'meanness' is preferred in more reflective or written styles.

常見錯誤

❌She showed meanness to me.
✅She was mean to me.
💡The adjective 'mean' is more natural than the noun 'meanness' when describing a one-time or personal situation.