World Languages Lexicon
10 Language-to-English DictionariesMean-streak
/ˈmiːnˌstriːk/Comprehensive Definitions & Senses
2 senses- 1
A recurring characteristic or disposition to be unkind, cruel, or spiteful.
"Beneath his charming exterior, he has a definite mean-streak that surprises people." - 2
A temporary period or instance of behaving with malicious intent or harshness.
"She showed a sudden mean-streak when she mocked her colleague's presentation."
Thesaurus & Semantic Spectrum
Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology
The term combines 'mean' (derived from Old English 'mǣne', meaning base, ignoble, or malicious) and 'streak' (from Old English 'strica', meaning a line or continuous trace of a quality). First appearing in American English during the late 19th century, it evolved to describe a recurring tendency toward cruelty, harshness, or spite in an otherwise neutral personality.
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10 Global Lexicons: How "Mean-streak" is said worldwide
Click any language below to open its dedicated Language to English dictionary page with native script & transliteration
méchanceté
Transliteration: meh-shahn-seh-tay
"Il a parfois un côté méchant qui surprend ses amis."
Bösartigkeit
Transliteration: bøːs-aːɐ̯t-ɪç-kaɪ̯t
"Manchmal blitzt bei ihm eine gewisse Bösartigkeit durch."
vena cattiva
Transliteration: veh-nah kat-tee-vah
"Dietro la sua gentilezza si nasconde una vena cattiva."
vena maliciosa
Transliteration: beh-nah mah-lee-syoh-sah
"A veces muestra una vena maliciosa inesperada."
veia malvada
Transliteration: vay-ah mal-vah-dah
"Ele tem uma veia malvada que raramente mostra."
क्रूरता की प्रवृत्ति
Transliteration: kroortaa ki pravritti
"उसमें कभी-कभी क्रूरता की प्रवृत्ति दिखाई देती है।"
狠劲
Transliteration: hěn jìn
"他平时很温和，但偶尔也会流露出狠劲。"
심술
Transliteration: sim-sul
"그는 평소에는 착하지만 가끔 심술을 부린다."
意地悪な一面
Transliteration: ijiwaru na ichimen
"彼には時々意地悪な一面が見られる。"
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