mean
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- 1 mean、heartless、cruel
Describes someone as lacking kindness or consideration and treating others in a hurtful or uncaring way. Depending on context, it can range from “heartless” or “cruel” to a playful “mean.”
mean、heartless、cruel
Describes a person or their behavior as unkind, uncaring, or cruel toward someone else.
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อย่าใจร้ายกับเด็ก yàa cayráay kàp dèk Don't be mean to the child. อย่าใจร้ายกับเด็ก details
Learning notes
Explanation
ใจร้าย is formed from ใจ (“heart” or “mind”) and ร้าย (“bad” or “harmful”). Its central idea is having an unkind heart or treating someone without consideration. As a Thai descriptive word, it can function directly as a predicate: เขาใจร้าย means “He is mean/heartless.” It follows a noun when modifying it, as in คนใจร้าย (“a mean or heartless person”). The common pattern ใจร้ายกับ + person means “to be mean or cruel to someone.” Its force depends heavily on context and tone: it may be a serious judgment of someone's character or a playful complaint among people who are close. A common opposite is ใจดี (“kind” or “good-hearted”).
Usage
Use it to criticize someone who treats others coldly, refuses compassion, or deliberately causes hurt. Among friends, partners, or family members, it can also express a light complaint—similar to “You're mean!”—when someone will not share, does not call, or playfully teases you.
Caution
Calling someone คนใจร้าย can sound like a strong condemnation of their whole character. A playful interpretation depends on tone and a close relationship. For the specific act of teasing or playing a trick, แกล้ง may be clearer; for extreme brutality or cruelty, โหดร้าย is stronger and more precise.
Differences from similar words
1 mean synonyms
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โหดร้าย is stronger and often refers to brutality or conduct that causes serious suffering. ใจร้าย focuses on a lack of kindness and can also be used for everyday meanness.
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ใจดำ strongly criticizes someone as callous and unmoved by another person's suffering. ใจร้าย is broader and can describe either a cruel personality or simply mean behavior in a particular situation.