From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishmean businessmean businessinformalDETERMINED to be serious about doing something even if it involves harming someone The border is guarded by troops who mean business. → business
Examples from the Corpus
mean business• Zhou had discarded his usual severe tunic for a gray Western business suit, and he meant business.• The man had a gun. It was obvious he meant business.• But when it bites, it means business.• This does not necessarily mean businesses must avoid all such one-of-a-kinds whatever their nature.• One of the quintet not only means business but high-minded, selfless business.• Firm action would show both sides that the EU and the UN really meant business.• For one local company it's meant business taking off like a rocket.• They looked as though they meant business.• Those boys knew we meant business.• And to prove we mean business, our members will stage a one-day strike next week.• But as the oil men realised that we meant business, seizures began to drop.mean businessmean businessDETERMINEDto be determined to do something This decision shows the public that we mean business. → meanExamples from the Corpus
mean business• But when it bites, it means business.• They looked as though they meant business.• Those boys knew we meant business.• Zhou had discarded his usual severe tunic for a gray Western business suit, and he meant business.• One of the quintet not only means business but high-minded, selfless business.• This does not necessarily mean businesses must avoid all such one-of-a-kinds whatever their nature.• But as the oil men realised that we meant business, seizures began to drop.• For one local company it's meant business taking off like a rocket. 