Was heißt...?: "What is called...?"; How do you say... (in German/English/whatever-other-language)?
The above translation is what I would consider the "traditional" translation. This is, however, another way to use this phrase, and it's something I seem to continue to think/say to myself all the time. It can be used in a sort of rhetorical manner to express that an adjective is a little excessive or not quite the right word. Let me explain.
Let's say you're talking to a friend about someone eating your lunch from the employee refrigerator at work (that's a very specific example, I know...). That conversation might go a little something like this:
Friend: Waaas? Wie dreist! Du warst bestimmt mega angepisst!
You: Naja, was heißt angepisst? Ich war einfach ein bisschen genervt, weil ich dann mir etwas von der Kantine holen musste. Und das Essen dort schmeckt einfach nicht so gut...
Friend: Whaaat? How rude! I bet you were pissed off!
You: Well, I wouldn't say 'pissed off'. I was just a little annoyed, because then I had to buy something from the cafeteria, and the food there just doesn't taste as good...
I hope that made sense!
Bis bald!
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