mean streak: meaning and explanation

If someone has a mean streak or a nasty streak, it means that there is an unpleasant or unfriendly aspect to their personality.

In general they could be quite friendly, but at times they have a tendency to be unkind or horrible. e.g. He was a lovely child, but unfortunately he has developed a bit of a mean streak since becoming a teenager.

We can adapt this phrase for other aspects of someone’s personality – usually negative ones (e.g. a competitive streak, a stubborn streak). e.g. I try and avoid playing board games. I’ve got a real competitive streak and I can become quite unpleasant.

Have a go at these micro-dictation exercises to hear this expression being used in context – how much can you understand?

Listening exercises

Micro-listening #1

Accent: Northern England

, .
really nice , he's a bit of .

About the sentence

…he’s also got a bit of a mean streak…

Notice the pronunciation of ‘got’ – the ‘t’ sound is ‘dropped’ and pronounced as a ‘glottal stop’ which can make the word hard to identify. If you’re interested in what people think about the glottal stop and why it is often (unfairly) criticised, have a look at this article.

Micro-listening #2

Accent: Ireland

Only members can access this listening exercise – join MicroEnglish to access all exercises.

Already a member? Login here