means
/miːnz/ (bre, ipa) · /miːnz/ (ame, ipa)
means — noun
- meanssingular
- meansesplural
1. A system, tool, or process that you use to reach a particular goal or carry out
A system, tool, or process that you use to reach a particular goal or carry out an action.
The bus is the cheapest means of getting around the city in Taipei.
means of + gerund for method
Painting became Nkechi's only means of expressing feelings she could not put into words.
The teacher used pictures as a means of explaining the new words to the class.
We need to find a better means of storing our data safely.
A bicycle can be a fast means of travel in busy cities.
文法句型
means of + gerund/noun
means to + infinitive
用法筆記
The plural noun 'means' stays the same in both singular and plural forms. You say 'a means of transport' (not 'a mean of transport'). Use 'a means' for one method and 'means' for several methods.
常見錯誤
2. The money or financial resources that a person or organisation has available to
The money or financial resources that a person or organisation has available to spend, especially from income or savings.
Ryan's parents did not have the means to pay for his piano lessons.
collocation: have the means to [do something]
The charity helps families whose means are limited by illness or job loss.
A government scholarship opened doors for Jin that his family's means could not reach.
The town had the means to build a new library after a local firm donated the funds.
- poverty
the state of having very little money
文法句型
have the means to + infinitive
beyond/within one's means
用法筆記
In this sense 'means' behaves like an uncountable plural noun. It is not used with numbers ('three means' would mean three methods, not a large amount of money). Commonly paired with possessive adjectives: my means, his means, their means.
常見錯誤
3. A pattern of using up more financial resources than the amount that comes in — r
A pattern of using up more financial resources than the amount that comes in — regularly buying goods or services that require borrowing beyond one's income.
After losing his job, Felix kept living beyond his means with credit cards.
fixed phrase: live beyond one's means
Mert warned his brother not to live beyond his means by buying an expensive car.
When a whole country lives beyond its means, the national debt grows year after year.
Lakshmi realised she was living beyond her means when her savings account ran dry after just three months.
It is easy to live beyond your means when you have a credit card with a high spending limit.
- overspend
a single verb that means the same thing but is less common in everyday speech
- live within one's means
the opposite meaning — spending less than you earn
文法句型
live beyond one's means
用法筆記
This sense only appears in the fixed expression 'live beyond one's means'. The possessive (my, your, his, her, its, their) always agrees with the subject of 'live'.
4. To spend only as much money as you earn or can afford — the phrase describes car
To spend only as much money as you earn or can afford — the phrase describes careful financial behaviour that keeps a person out of debt.
Apinya has learned to live within her means by cooking at home instead of eating out.
fixed phrase: live within one's means
Christopher and Adisa bought a smaller house so they could live within their means.
Living within your means does not mean giving up joy — it means planning your spending well.
Ryan checked his bank balance each week to make sure he was still living within his means.
- budget
a verb that describes the active process of planning spending within one's limits
- live beyond one's means
the opposite meaning — spending more than you earn
文法句型
live within one's means
用法筆記
Like sense 3, this sense only appears in the fixed expression 'live within one's means'. It is the opposite of 'live beyond one's means' and is used with the same possessive agreement pattern.
5. A person who is rich and has enough money to live comfortably without financial
A person who is rich and has enough money to live comfortably without financial worries — describes someone with significant wealth, not just a modest income.
Élise married a man of means who owns several houses in Lyon.
fixed phrase: a man/woman of means
The community centre was built with donations from a woman of means from the area.
In the novel, the hero is a person of means who secretly helps poor families in his town.
The art gallery was founded by a woman of means who collected paintings for over forty years.
- poor
having little money
文法句型
a [person] of means
用法筆記
This is a formal, literary expression. In everyday conversation, people are more likely to say 'a rich person' or 'a wealthy person'. The phrase 'a person of means' sounds old-fashioned or elegant.