What does BE NO MEAN FEAT mean?

What’s the meaning of BE NO MEAN FEAT? How to use this expression correctly in English? Is it formal or informal?

If you’re asking any of these question, just keep reading to learn everything you need to learn about BE NO MEAN FEAT.

BE NO MEAN FEAT | meaning

Go straight to the point, the Cambridge Dictionary defines BE NO MEAN FEAT as follows:

something that is very difficult to do, so that someone who does it deserves to be admired

In simple terms:

Something that is difficult, impressive, or requires a great deal of effort.

When you say that something “is no mean feat,” you are emphasizing that it is not easy and deserves recognition.

Basic Structure:

Subject + be + no mean feat

Example:

Becoming fluent in English is no mean feat.

In short, BE NO MEAN FEAT means:

✔️ Worth admiration
✔️ Not easy
✔️ Highly challenging

Examples

Here are natural and commonly used examples:

• Writing a doctoral thesis is no mean feat.
• Getting the job finished in under a week was no mean feat.
• We all know that that was no mean feat.
• Publishing research internationally is no mean feat.
• This is no mean task, especially if they have not been doing any recruitment for the past few months.
• Managing a multinational team is no mean feat.
• Mastering English pronunciation is no mean feat.

These examples reflect how BE NO MEAN FEAT is used in real-life international contexts.

Synonyms and Similar Expressions

You can replace BE NO MEAN FEAT with these expressions, depending on the level of formality.

Formal and Neutral Alternatives

• A major achievement
• A significant accomplishment
• A remarkable feat
• Quite an achievement
• A demanding task

Examples:

• Passing the exam was a major achievement.
• Completing the project was quite an accomplishment.

Informal and Spoken English

• No small thing
• A big deal
• Not easy at all
• No joke
• Tough challenge

Examples:

• Learning Japanese is no joke.
• Running a marathon is a big deal.

Instead of using FEAT, sometimes people also say:

• no mean task
• no mean achievment

Origin of BE NO MEAN FEAT

The expression BE NO MEAN FEAT comes from older forms of English.

Historically:

• Mean meant “small” or “insignificant”
• Feat meant “an achievement” or “an act”

So, “no mean feat” originally meant:

“Not a small achievement.”

Over time, this structure became a fixed idiomatic expression in modern English, especially in formal and educated usage.

Conclusion

Mastering expressions like BE NO MEAN FEAT is essential for advanced English learners and teachers.

This phrase allows you to:

• Highlight effort and difficulty
• Express respect and admiration
• Sound more fluent and professional
• Improve academic and business communication

Developing high-level English is no mean feat, but learning expressions like this makes the process more effective and rewarding.

Keep building your lexical knowledge, and your fluency will grow naturally.