adjective
mean
Impressively good or skillful.
She makes a mean vegetable soup on cold evenings.
Etymology
The slang praise sense reverses the usual negative force of mean. Something formidable or impressively effective is described with a word otherwise associated with harshness or low quality.
More examples
- He plays a mean guitar.
- That cook serves a mean breakfast.
- You throw a mean fastball.
Forms
mean · meaner · meanest
Similar words
- skillful
- Neutral praise rather than slang emphasis.