differentdif‧fe‧rent /ˈdɪfərənt/ ●●● S1 W1 adjective 
Our sons are very different from each other.different to Her jacket’s different to mine.different than American English He seemed different than he did in New York. The place looks completely different now. They decided to try a radically different approach. We found women had significantly different political views from men. a slightly different way of doing things What actually happened was subtly different from the PR people’s version. The show is refreshingly different from most exhibitions of modern art. The publishing business is no different from any other business in this respect. It’s a different world here in London.GRAMMAR: Prepositions with different• You usually say different from: · Their home is different from ours.• In American English, people also say different than: · Their home is different than ours.• In spoken British English, people also say different to: · Their home is different to ours. ✗Don’t say: Their home is different of ours.2[only before noun] used to talk about two or more separate things of the same basic kind SYN various: Different people reacted in different ways.different types/kinds etc There are many different types of fabric. I looked in lots of different books but couldn’t find anything about it.3[only before noun] another: I think she’s moved to a different job now.4spoken unusual, often in a way that you do not like: ‘What did you think of the film?’ ‘Well, it was certainly different.’—differently adverb: I didn’t expect to be treated any differently from anyone else. Things could have turned out quite differently.THESAURUSdifferent if something or someone is different, they are not like something or someone else, or they are not like they were before: · You look different. Have you had your hair cut?· We’ve painted the door a different colour.· The cultures of the two countries are very different.unique very different, special, or unusual and the only one of its kind. Don’t use words such as very before unique: · The book is certainly very rare, and possibly unique.· the unique wildlife of the Galapagos Islandsdistinctive having a special feature or appearance that makes something different from other things, and makes it easy to recognize: · Male birds have distinctive blue and yellow markings.unlike [preposition] completely different from a particular person or thing: · In Britain, unlike the United States, the government provides health care.have nothing in common if two people have nothing in common, they do not have the same interests or opinions and therefore cannot form a friendly relationship: · Apart from the fact that we went to the same school, we have absolutely nothing in common.there’s no/little resemblance used when saying that two people or things seem very different: · There’s no resemblance between the two sisters at all.· The final product bore no resemblance to the original proposal (=it was very different).dissimilar formal not the same as something else: · These four politically dissimilar states have all signed a treaty of friendship and cooperation.be like chalk and cheese British English informal if two people are like chalk and cheese, they are completely different: · It’s hard to believe that they’re brothers – they’re like chalk and cheese!be (like) apples and oranges American English informal used when saying that two people or things are very different: · You can't compare residential and commercial real estate markets. It's apples and oranges.· Obama and Romney are apples and oranges.· Comparing homemade soup to canned soup is really comparing apples and oranges.
WORD ORIGINdifferent
Origin:
1300-1400 French différer; ➔ DIFFEREXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- "Do you like my new shoes?" "Well, they sure are different."
- a drug that affects different people in different ways
- Alice transferred to a different school last year.
- He looked so different that his own daughter didn't recognize him.
- He took the photo from three different angles.
- His hair was dyed in at least three different colors.
- I'd like a totally different look in the kitchen - something brighter and more modern.
- I always check the prices of different brands before I make a major purchase.
- Let's compare the prices of five different detergents.
- Life today is different than ten, fifteen years ago.
- People are all so different. You can never tell how they will react.
- The bookstore has many different books on Kennedy.
- The drug affects different people in different ways.
- The word can have completely different meanings depending on the context.
- Things are different now, since John left.
- This computer's different from the one I used in my last job.
- We've painted the door a different colour.
- You look different. Have you had your hair cut?
- All of us have different levels of tolerance to the demands on our mental energy.
- And each opinion produces surprisingly different results.
- He kept his reputation intact to run again another day, with a different result.
- Tables 6.6 and 6.7 give two views of this shift, considering different time periods and employing different classifications.
- The religion took different forms in the islands where slaves were taken.
- Their members may have different professions, different beliefs, different sets of skills.
- There are four variants of this system, all of which have different shoot requirements.
- Whatever the factors underlying the different growth rates, it is consistent with the uneven relationship emerging in the inter-war years.
THESAURUS
if something or someone is different, they are not like something or someone else, or they are not like they were before: · You look different. Have you had your hair cut?· We’ve painted the door a different colour.· The cultures of the two countries are very different.
very different, special, or unusual and the only one of its kind. Don’t use words such as very before unique: · The book is certainly very rare, and possibly unique.· the unique wildlife of the Galapagos Islands
having a special feature or appearance that makes something different from other things, and makes it easy to recognize: · Male birds have distinctive blue and yellow markings.
[preposition] completely different from a particular person or thing: · In Britain, unlike the United States, the government provides health care.
if two people have nothing in common, they do not have the same interests or opinions and therefore cannot form a friendly relationship: · Apart from the fact that we went to the same school, we have absolutely nothing in common.
used when saying that two people or things seem very different: · There’s no resemblance between the two sisters at all.· The final product bore no resemblance to the original proposal (=it was very different).
formal not the same as something else: · These four politically dissimilar states have all signed a treaty of friendship and cooperation.
British English informal if two people are like chalk and cheese, they are completely different: · It’s hard to believe that they’re brothers – they’re like chalk and cheese!
American English informal used when saying that two people or things are very different: · You can't compare residential and commercial real estate markets. It's apples and oranges.· Obama and Romney are apples and oranges.· Comparing homemade soup to canned soup is really comparing apples and oranges.
Longman Language Activatornot like someone or something else if something or someone is different , they are not like something or someone else, or they are not like they were before: · You look different. Have you had your hair cut?· People are all so different. You can never tell how they will react.· Things are different now, since John left.· We've painted the door a different colour.different from something/somebodyalso different than something/somebody American: · This computer's different from the one I used in my last job.· Life today is different than ten, fifteen years ago.completely/totally different: · I'd like a totally different look in the kitchen - something brighter and more modern.
different from - use this especially when two things or people are not at all similar: · Walking in the hills isn't like walking down the street - it can be very dangerous.not at all like/nothing like (=completely different from): · She's very shy - not at all like her sister.· James was nothing like I'd expected, from what I had heard.not look/sound like: · The voice on the answering machine didn't sound like Anna's at all.
different - use this especially when two things are similar but are not exactly like each other, or when one of them is not as good as the other: · The two designs are similar but not the same. Which do you prefer?· I prefer having my own house. Living in a rented flat really isn't the same.not the same as: · I've tried Mexican food here in London, but it just isn't the same as in Mexico.
if things of the same type vary , they are all different from each other: · Methods of treatment vary according to the age and general health of the patient.vary considerably/greatly/widely: · Prices of video cameras vary considerably.vary in price/quality/size etc: · The hotel rooms vary in size, but all have televisions and telephones.
formal if two things differ , they have different qualities or features: · People's abilities differ, but their rights and opportunities should be the same.differ from: · Scottish law has always differed from English law.differ in cost/size/appearance etc: · A lot of painkillers are basically the same, differing only in cost.differ greatly/widely: · Opinions on the subject differ greatly.
if one thing contrasts with another thing, the difference between them is very easy to see and is sometimes surprising: · His extrovert personality contrasts with his sister's quiet, shy character.· The snow was icy and white, contrasting with the brilliant blue sky.contrast sharply/markedly with something (=to be extremely different): · These results contrast sharply with those of similar tests carried out in Australia.
a method, way of behaving etc that is a departure from the usual one is different, new, and unusual: · Such methods are, of course, a departure from traditional medical practice.mark/represent/signal a departure from something: · The move represented a departure from the government's commitment to finding a peaceful solution to the crisis.
things that are diverse are different from each other and cover a wide range of possible styles, types etc: · The music college aims to encourage talents as diverse as members of symphony orchestras and pop groups.· diverse political viewsa diverse range of something: · People enter the organisation from a diverse range of social, economic, and educational backgrounds.
very different from something or someone else if two or more people or things have nothing in common , they do not have the same qualities, opinions, or interests: · Apart from the fact that we went to the same school, we have absolutely nothing in common.have nothing in common with: · Batavia was a completely new modern city, having very little in common with other Indonesian towns.
to be completely different from and not connected in any way with another person or thing: · Everyone complains that the national tests bear no relation to what children have learnt in class.· I was astonished when I read the press release, which bore no relation to what I had told them.
people, beliefs, or ideas that are worlds or poles apart are so completely different that there is almost nothing about them that is similar: · I don't know why Max took an interest in me. We were always worlds apart.worlds apart/poles apart from: · The children were on holiday, enjoying a lifestyle worlds apart from the one they had to put up with at home.
if a situation is a far cry from another situation or place, it is so different that it is almost the opposite: · We had dinner at the Ritz, a far cry from our usual hamburger and fries.· The first Olympic Games in 1896 were a far cry from the slick spectacle of today.
if you say there is a world of difference between two activities or situations, you mean that they are completely different from each other and people should not expect them to be the same: · There is a world of difference between home-made bread and the tasteless substance that many people buy today.
especially American, informal to be very different from what you have done or experienced before: · Being married is one thing, but having children is a whole new ball game.
British informal if two people who are related or good friends are like chalk and cheese , they are completely different in a way that surprises you: · It's hard to believe that they're brothers -- they're like chalk and cheese!
completely different from anyone or anything else different, special, or unusual and the only one of its kind: · The book is certainly very rare, and possibly unique.· the unique wildlife of the Galapagos Islandsunique among: · The power of speech makes the human race unique among animals.
something that is distinctive has a special feature or appearance that makes it different from other things, and makes it easy to recognize: · Male birds have distinctive blue and yellow markings.· Whatever you think of Larkin's poetry, it's certainly distinctive.distinctive feature (of something): · The most distinctive feature of the building is its enormous dome-shaped roof.
if something is the only one of its kind , it is the only one that exists: · The 22-bedroomed clinic will be the only one of its kind in Ireland.
someone or something that is one of a kind is different because they are the only one to exist or be made: · Marilyn Monroe was one of a kind. There's no such thing as 'the new Monroe'.· Each tile is a work of art, guaranteed one of a kind by the handprint of its maker.
an individual style, way of doing things etc is different from anyone else's and is often fairly unusual: · Every baby has its own, individual personality.· a tennis player with a completely individual stylehighly individual: · She dresses in a highly individual way.
especially British to be so different or unusual that people cannot expect to find anything or meet anyone like them again: · I was really upset when I lost that hat. It was a one-off -- I'll never find another like it.· Doug's achieved a lot with very limited resources. There's no doubt that he's a one-off.
when someone is different from other people to think or behave in a way that is unusual: · It's a small community and anyone who shows any signs of being different just isn't made to feel welcome.· For teenagers, it's important to speak and dress like their friends. They really don't want to be different.
someone who does not belong or does not fit in is so different that people do not like them, do not help them to become one of the group etc: · From the moment she first joined the company, Sally just didn't belong.· Until we learnt the language, we felt that we didn't fit in. But after that the people seemed to accept us.
if two people are on a different wavelength , they have very different ideas and attitudes from each other, with the result that they do not understand each other: · My dad doesn't understand me. He's on a completely different wavelength.· We'd been married for twenty years, but we just weren't on the same wavelength anymore.
to be very different from the people around you especially in the way you dress or look, so that people notice you and look at you: · You can't come to the restaurant dressed in jeans. You'd stick out like a sore thumb.
to be different from the other people in a group because you behave in a different way and have different ideas: · In my school, anyone who was out of sync was ignored or ridiculed.be out of step/sync with: · The Prime Minister has been criticized for being out of step with the British people.
when something is of the same type, but not the same one one more of the same kind of thing or person: · Louise has a house in New York, and another in Florida.· The blue suitcase is broken. Have we got another I could use?· creatures from another planetanother one: · I decided I didn't like the dress after all, so I changed it for another one.
different ones from the ones that you already have, or that you have already mentioned: · I'm afraid we don't have these jeans in any other sizes.· Of course, my train was late, but the others seemed to be on time.· Maria's blond, but all my other children have dark hair.
use this about several people or things of the same general type, when you are comparing them with each other and noticing the differences between them: · Let's compare the prices of five different detergents.· a drug that affects different people in different ways
use this about something or someone that replaces the one that was there before: · Have you met Keith's new girlfriend?· She's really enjoying her new job.
use this after a noun to talk about another thing, place, or person instead of this one: · Go and play somewhere else. I'm trying to work.· Andrea's obsessed with money -- she never thinks about anything else.· Jamie's special. There's really no one else like him.
also alternate American an alternative plan, arrangement, or system can be used instead of the usual or main one: · For vegetarian guests there is an alternative menu.· The bridge is closed so we advise you to use an alternate route.· Do you have any alternative suggestions to make?
something that is done in a way that is different from the way it is usually done: variation on: · This recipe makes an interesting variation on the traditional Christmas cake.a variation on the theme of something: · The new movie is a variation on the theme of the original 'Blue Lagoon'.variation in: · There are at least ten styles of Apple Mac computers, and countless variations in those models.
something that is slightly different from the usual form of something or has developed from it: · The English and Americans often spell words differently, but both variants are acceptable.· The name Lloyd and its variant Floyd are Celtic in origin.variant of: · There is evidence that a new variant of the disease has recently been found in Britain.
clearly different from other things of the same type designed for one particular purpose, and therefore different from other things of its type: · Bob's been on a special diet since his heart attack.· The fish will be kept in special tanks that mimic the natural currents in rivers.
: specially designed/made/built/chosen etc designed, made, built etc for a special purpose: · Customs officers use specially trained dogs to search for drugs.· We're introducing a new range of beauty products specially designed for teenagers.
clearly different from others of the same kind: · The lights were arranged to give a particular effect.· Is there a particular type of car that you are looking for?· I didn't have any particular plan in mind.
two or more things that are distinct from each other belong to the same general type, but are clearly different from each other in an important way: · The European Union is made up of 15 nations with distinct cultural, linguistic and economic roots.distinct from: · The mammoth was related to, but distinct from, modern elephants.
a fact or quality that makes someone or something different a detail, fact, or quality that makes one person or thing different from another: · We should think about the similarities between cultures, not the differences.difference between: · Try and spot the differences between these two pictures.· The difference between the two cheeses is that one is made from goat's milk.difference in: · I don't think there's any difference in the way you pronounce these two words.know the difference: · He's speaking Italian, not Spanish. Don't you know the difference?
a clear, but usually small, difference between similar things: · Pablo insists that he is Basque, not Spanish - an important distinction.distinction between: · There is a clear distinction between lawful protest and illegal strike action.
a feature of a particular person or thing that makes them look different from other similar people or things: · The distinguishing feature of the African elephant is the size of its ears.· The melodies of most composers have distinguishing characteristics which make them instantly identifiable.
the difference between two people or things the amount by which one person, thing, or amount is different from another: difference between: · Calculate the difference between the amount you started with and what you have left.a big/huge etc difference: · There is a vast difference between daytime and night-time temperatures in the desert.difference in: · There was fifteen years difference in age between the two women.age/height/price etc difference (=between one amount and another): · I prefer the Peugeot 406 to the 405. What's the price difference?pay the difference: · If you put all your savings towards the cost of a bike, your Dad and I will pay the difference.
a very clear difference that you can easily see when you compare two things or people: contrast between something/somebody and something/somebody: · What surprised me was the contrast between Picasso's early style and his later work.
a big difference between two amounts, two ages, or two groups of people: gap between: · There's a ten-year gap between Kay's two children.· The gap between rich and poor is wider in the South than in the rest of the country.age/gender/income etc gap: · The age gap between us didn't seem to matter until we decided to have children.
a very big difference and lack of understanding between two groups of people, especially in their beliefs, opinions, and way of life: gulf between somebody and somebody: · More riots led to a growing gulf between the police and the communities in which they worked.bridge/cross the gulf (=improve understanding and communication): · The central problem was how to bridge the gulf between the warring factions of the party.
a difference between two groups of people, especially in their beliefs, opinions, and way of life which means they will never be friends, become the same etc: divide between: · Recently the divide between the two sides has widened.a cultural/political etc divide: · There is still a great economic and political divide between the east and the west of the country.
formal a big difference between two groups of people or things - use this especially when you think the difference is unfair or may cause problems: disparity between: · It is not easy to explain the disparity that still exists between the salaries of men and women.disparity in: · the disparity in wealth between the highest and the lowest employeesthe economic/income etc disparity: · The economic disparity between the area's black and white citizens is a serious problem.
in a different way · The words "through' and "threw' sound the same, but they are spelled differently.· These three chemicals react to heat in slightly different ways.· He started to treat me in a different way once we got married.differently/in a different way from · I always felt that my parents treated me differently from my brothers and sisters.see/look at something differently (=have a different opinion) · I believe you, but I think the police might see it differently.
using a different method or system: · Their organization was run along different lines to ours.
if you do, say, or think otherwise , you do, say, or think something different from what has already been mentioned: · The situation was very serious indeed, even if the government tried to pretend otherwise.· The police stressed that Straskow would be considered innocent until proved otherwise.
to notice that two things or people are different to be able to notice that two things or people are different, even though they seem to be similar: · It looked just like a real diamond - I couldn't tell the difference.can tell the difference between: · Can you tell the difference between a really good wine and the sort that you might drink every day?
to be able to see that two very similar people or things are different - use this especially in questions and negative statements: · The twins are identical - even their parents can't always tell them apart.
to be able to recognize and understand the difference between two or more similar people or things: · Several thousand minerals can be distinguished, each defined by its own set of properties.distinguish between: · Even a expert would find it hard to distinguish between the original painting and the copy.distinguish from: · A tiny baby soon learns to distinguish its mother's face from other adults' faces.
to know, see, or show the difference between a group of people or things: differentiate between: · As journalists, we have to differentiate between facts and opinions.differentiate from: · Part of the management course was teaching us how to differentiate essential tasks from less important ones.
to say what the difference is between two or more similar people or things: draw/make a distinction between: · The law draws a distinction between different types of killing, according to whether it was intended or not.· In the government's education proposals there is a clear distinction made between academic and practical training.
to be able to find differences between similar people or things in order to make a choice: discriminate between: · The monkeys were easily able to discriminate between the different objects, according to their visual appearance.discriminate from: · A test is useful for discriminating those students who have reached a higher level from those at a lower level.
to be the thing that makes someone or something different to be the thing that makes someone or something different from other people or things: · What really distinguishes the proposal?distinguish from: · There's not a lot that distinguishes her from the other candidates.· What distinguishes this approach from previous attempts to deal with HIV?
if a quality sets someone or something apart , it makes you notice them because they are so different or unusual: · Such seriousness and ambition in a very young man set him apart.set sb/sth apart from: · The new software was a unique tool that set the Microsoft Network apart from other commercial online services.
when one statement, idea etc makes a different one seem untrue if one statement or fact contradicts another one, it is so different that it makes the other one seem untrue or impossible: · The two newspaper reports totally contradict each other.· Recent experiments seem to contradict earlier results.· O'Brien's later statement contradicted what he had told Somerville police on the night of the murder.
very different from each other - use this especially when two things should be the same: · At first we received conflicting information about the number of children who were seriously hurt.· Researchers tend to offer conflicting advice on which vitamin and mineral supplements might keep us healthy.
if a statement, story, fact etc is inconsistent with what you expect or already know of the situation, it is completely different from it: · IBM said that the £37 million payment had been made in a way that was inconsistent with company policy.· Wolff, an economics professor at New York University, said that the results were inconsistent with all the other data they had.
a small fact or detail that is different from what you expected, especially one that makes you think that something is wrong: · Whenever he works out his accounts there are always discrepancies.discrepancy between: · Apparently there were discrepancies between police reports taken from the same witnesses at different times.discrepancy in: · She always refused to discuss the discrepancies in her biography.
if something goes against what you think or what someone has told you, it is different from the opinions, attitudes etc that you have learnt: · What the teacher was saying went against everything his parents had taught him.· She couldn't explain what had made her go against her upbringing and character and behave so recklessly.
if a statement, story, fact etc is at odds with another, the two things are so completely different that one of them must be untrue: · John Nelson has been re-examining the evidence, and his conclusions are greatly at odds with the story so far.· The government decision to raise taxes was at odds with their policies on inflation.
exactly like someone or something · They were both wearing the same shoes.· We've opened up stores in the UK and we hope to do the same in the rest of Europe.· "We always get up late on Saturdays." "It's the same in our house."look/sound/taste etc the same · The houses on the street all look the same.just the same/exactly the same (=not different in any way) · I tried three different types of wine, but they all tasted exactly the same to me.all the same · Take whichever you like - they're all the same.the same ... as · They were doing the same jobs as the men, but being paid less.
if someone or something is just like or exactly like someone or something else, there is very little difference between them: · You're just like my teacher.· There are insects that look exactly like green leaves.· This song sounds exactly like that one by The Beatles.be just/exactly like doing something: · We had often talked about emigrating to Australia. Suzie came from Melbourne, so it would be just like going home for her.
identical things are exactly the same in every way: · To me the two patterns looked identical.identical to: · The picture is identical to the one in the museum of Modern Art in New York.identical in size/colour/shape etc: · The tablets were identical in size, shape, and colour.
if you can't tell the difference between two people or things, or if you can't tell them apart , they look, sound, or seem exactly the same to you: · Emma and Louise sound so alike on the phone, I can't tell the difference.· They are identical twins and it's impossible to tell them apart.· These rap bands all sound the same to me -- I can't tell them apart.can't tell the difference between: · Don't let her help you with the gardening -- she can't tell the difference between a weed and a strawberry plant!
two people or things that are indistinguishable are so similar that it is impossible to know which is which or to see any differences between them: · In the storm the sky and sea were indistinguishable.· It was claimed that Russian and American defence policies were indistinguishable.indistinguishable from: · He tasted the cheaper wine and found it indistinguishable from a superior one.
use this especially when you expect something or someone to be different from another thing or person, but in fact they are the same: · People often think that movie stars are special in some way, but really they're no different from anybody else.· Life on the island is no different from life on the mainland.
if one thing matches another or if two things match , they look the same or have the same qualities or characteristics: · You can't go out wearing socks that don't match.· Their performance in government didn't quite match their election promises.
if you repeat or copy something word for word , you do it using exactly the same words: · Janice repeated word for word what Harold had told her.· It appears that someone has copied your essay word for word.
words for describing things or people that are of different kinds use this about several people or things of the same general type, when you are comparing them with each other and noticing the differences between them: · His hair was dyed in at least three different colors.· I always check the prices of different brands before I make a major purchase.· The drug affects different people in different ways.· The word can have completely different meanings depending on the context.
use this when you want to emphasize that there are several different people or things: · The study evaluates various methods of weight loss.· The committee has asked various people for their opinions.· I had to sign various documents before they would let me into the country.
especially written a lot of things that are different from each other, but of the same general type: · Children do badly at school for a variety of reasons.· The reef fishes display an almost endless variety of colors and patterns.a wide variety of something (=a large variety): · The college offers a wide variety of language courses.
different from each other, especially very different in degree, amount, character etc: · We aim to satisfy the differing needs of our customers.· Survivors sustained injuries with differing degrees of severity.widely differing: · There are widely differing views among community leaders on how best to deal with the homeless issue.
different from each other in degree, amount, condition etc: · The program teaches children of varying ages.· It is now possible to grow satisfactory crops under varying climatic conditions.varying degrees/levels/amounts etc of something: · She has tried numerous diets with varying degrees of success.· Test-takers must complete ten tasks with varying levels of complexity.
several things that are of the same general kind but are not all exactly alike: · Police confiscated an assortment of weapons from the gang.· Every good cook needs an assortment of knives for different jobs in the kitchen.· The basket contained an assortment of sandwiches, cheese, and fruit.
various things of the same general kind, all together in the same place - often used about products: · In the centre of the table was a plate of assorted biscuits.· a box of assorted bandages· The website contains links to assorted investment sites.
an interesting or useful variety of different people or things: · The ideal lesson contains a good mix of activities and subjects.· A mix of young people and old people attended the meeting.· The band's music is an exciting mix of jazz, swing, and rock 'n' roll.
a variety of people or things, especially when they have been deliberately chosen to be together: · The film is largely a mixture of music, dance, and comedy.· Indonesian civilization is an extreme mixture of races, religions, and cultures.· Yiddish is a dialect of German with a mixture of Polish and Hebrew added.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY Our sons are very different from each other. The place looks completely different now. They decided to try a radically different approach. We found women had significantly different political views from men. a slightly different way of doing things What actually happened was subtly different from the PR people’s version. The show is refreshingly different from most exhibitions of modern art. The publishing business is no different from any other business in this respect. It’s a different world here in London. Different people reacted in different ways. There are many different types of fabric.COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES We’re approaching the issue from many different angles. A city at night is a very different beast. The two brothers are as different as chalk and cheese. The political culture of the US is fundamentally different. Johnson and Rivera have markedly different leadership styles. Any government funding would be temporary in nature. The situation is radically different from that of ten years ago. My own position is rather different. people of different religions Each article has a slightly different slant on the situation. Recent events have put a new slant on the president’s earlier comments. a slightly different color We need somebody neutral to sort this out. ‘When are you planning to hire someone?’ ‘As soon as we find someone suitable.’ There was something rather odd about him. Is there somewhere safe where I can leave my bike? The two experiments produced strikingly different results. If that doesn’t work, we’ll try a different tack. That’s a totally different matter. From then on, our fortunes took a downward turn. My career had already taken a new turn. The president was stunned by the sudden turn of events.
Our sons are very different from each other. The place looks completely different now. They decided to try a radically different approach. We found women had significantly different political views from men. a slightly different way of doing things What actually happened was subtly different from the PR people’s version. The show is refreshingly different from most exhibitions of modern art. The publishing business is no different from any other business in this respect. It’s a different world here in London. Different people reacted in different ways. There are many different types of fabric. We’re approaching the issue from many different angles.· a new approach to pollution control
A city at night is a very different beast. The two brothers are as different as chalk and cheese.· The size of the bombs gave a new dimension to the terrorists’ campaign.
· They said goodbye and walked off in different directions.
The political culture of the US is fundamentally different.· He avoided arrest by adopting a new identity.
· Fossils of many different kinds have been found in this site.
Johnson and Rivera have markedly different leadership styles. (=be different from or similar to other things of the same type)· He clearly comes from a different mould than his brother.
Any government funding would be temporary in nature.· The same person can react differently on different occasions.
· Public transport varied between different parts of the country.
· There are different patterns of social life in urban areas.
· I like the programme because it gives you a different perspective on world news.
The situation is radically different from that of ten years ago. My own position is rather different. people of different religions· Is this a different route than the one we took before?
· Six towns of different sizes were selected for the research.
Each article has a slightly different slant on the situation. Recent events have put a new slant on the president’s earlier comments. a slightly different color We need somebody neutral to sort this out. ‘When are you planning to hire someone?’ ‘As soon as we find someone suitable.’ There was something rather odd about him. Is there somewhere safe where I can leave my bike?· Barbara never stopped wanting a different sort of life.
The two experiments produced strikingly different results. If that doesn’t work, we’ll try a different tack.· Their tastes in movies were very different.
That’s a totally different matter. From then on, our fortunes took a downward turn. My career had already taken a new turn. The president was stunned by the sudden turn of events.· I’ve learned to work with different types of people.
· The two groups listened to different versions of the story.
· Different people have different views about this subject.
(=disagree)· They get on well, though they are of differing views on politics.
· There are many different ways of borrowing money.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB· The 1990s will be completely different from the implied Toffler scenario, as presented here.· Two people standing at distant points on the globe would have completely different ideas about where the magnetic north pole lay.· Originally, a long, long time ago, they used a completely different melodic scale to ours.· If you are trying to change to a completely different field you should use a functional resume.· And now for something completely different?· It's a completely different pickup, it's wound completely different, it sounds completely different.· Next month, something probably completely different ... Bye for now!· It's a completely different pickup, it's wound completely different, it sounds completely different.
· It never seemed to occur to him that a general idea might be an entirely different sort of thing from an image.· Today they tell you one thing, tomorrow they tell you something entirely different.· Michael's an entirely different animal.· The two species share the same food, habitat, and enemies, yet have entirely different mating systems.· And yet, at the same time, they are entirely different.· Alcohol is much less potent than opiates, however, because it works in an entirely different way.· Apart from the sons of the Count of Angoulême the rebels of 1176 were an entirely different group from the rebels of 1173-4.· The therapeutic approach developed in this research for work with people with cancer is based on entirely different questions.
· However, as Reina Lewis has demonstrated, women's images of Oriental nudes are fundamentally different at the point of reception.· The nature of the masculine economy of self-representation makes it blind to another economy that takes a fundamentally different approach.· A fundamentally different analytical method is to use the concept of bibliographical coupling to construct clusters of co-citing journals.· The reason: a fundamentally different parenting orientation.· Tolerance means treating with respect people whose positions are fundamentally different from your own.· From a Piagetian constructivist perspective, critical thinking is not fundamentally different from regular thinking.· These principles of correspondence articulate two fundamentally different ways of conceptualizing racism.· Government and business are fundamentally different institutions.
· He found himself considering how different were these two sisters, Agnes vehement, voluble, exclamatory.· Similarly, a child with a visual-spatial difficulty may not easily notice how different building materials or action figures fit together.· Perhaps the fallen girls might behave better if they were not constantly reminded how different they were.· Carlesimo said he wanted to mix his lineup and see how different players performed together.· But how different and progressive are these NGO-managed health centres?· Here we simply want to note how different this way of working is from the job-based 9 to 5.· Is one kind of bird really unlike another? How different does it have to be to count as distinct?· No. How different things look in hindsight, and how my own flaws stand out in relief.
· It was no different from any of those other infamous events that dot the charts of history.· And our lawyers are no different.· By that definition, one might think that the Internet is no different from ordinary telephony.· But accomplishing solvency is no different from accomplishing any other goal.· And this pettiness made the place even rnore ordinary, no different from the plainest sleepiest hick town in the Mid-West.· It is no different from genes for height.· That early October day in 1954 seemed no different from any other as I left school for the day.· In that sense, Morales is no different.
· The urban crisis or the inner city problem conflates a number of quite different economic, political and social issues.· It is not that they can not be well integrated even when career opportunities are quite different for them.· The proportion amongst the very old will be even higher. Quite different household patterns are involved.· The latter come closer to exhibiting the flavors of a wild bird, but are still quite different.· We should recognize that the validity of research findings is always relative, and relative in two quite different ways.· But perhaps his senses accommodated quite different facts, data.· In Mesoamerica the social situation was quite different.· If they had been born into a different culture they would have believed something quite different.
· And their very definition of the Messiah had been hi-jacked and twisted into something radically different.· If these predictions are true, the future is going to be radically different from the past.· I want to defend a radically different picture, which takes a much broader historical perspective.· He understands the two of them compete in radically different environments.· But it has a radically different conception of the forces that empower achievers.· Adolescent boys are radically different from adolescent girls.· This is radically different from showing that the original effect was spurious.· Almost without knowing it, they have begun to invent a radically different way of doing business in the public sector.
· The problem turned out to be rather different.· But this was a rather different game.· Millett's picture of the authentic female self is rather different from that of Daly.· But the case in real life appears to be rather different.· In 1999 it all looks rather different.· In doing so we have argued that the processes involved in word recognition are rather different for spoken and printed words.· A rather different picture emerges if the subject is broadened to include crime.· Not surprisingly, from his hot seat, the trade view of home-saved seeds is rather different.
· The few examples of state formation which have been studied in detail are all significantly different in important respects.· This naturally produces very large degrees of freedom meaning that even relatively small correlations may be significantly different from zero.· The lesion area of the group treated with catalase was not significantly different from that of the control rats.· The helical axes have significantly different directions in the two structures, and it is not possible to superimpose the helices.· I don't feel able to do anything significantly different.· These values were not significantly different between the groups.· Weekly hours worked by adults with cystic fibrosis were not significantly different from those worked by the general population.· The mean coefficients of variation of patients in these groups were not significantly different.
· On Silver and Knitmaster standard and fine gauge electronics the setting is slightly different.· The absolute size of population gains and losses gives a slightly different picture of regional change.· Ray Clarke, director of the Tucson Urban League, takes a slightly different view of the issue.· The Disney-inspired theme parks serve an only slightly different function.· Each has a slightly different take on aging.· Your brain uses the slightly different pictures from each eye to judge distance accurately.· This one is slightly different from the ones you saw in the stomach.
· We visited our farming cousins and enjoyed the delights of a life so different from our own.· How can siblings, raised in the same family, be so different?· He seemed so different from anyone else.· It was all so different then.· But was it really so different?· After all, I am not so different from anyone else, if the truth be known.· She wanted Phoebe's long bold stare, so different from Rachel's serene regard-more dangerous, more challenging.· To her, it was so different now.
· Well, it may be simulating the same sport, but it's a totally different sort of game.· The two men were almost totally different.· Bob Southwell, his boss, was totally different.· They were from different worlds, totally different cultures, but they were brought together by fate, Marina believed.· I had only ever seen them in a tank or on a slab and this was totally different.· It's totally different from radio-controlled flying where there isn't this link.· George answers for Lennie + tells him what to do, although the two men are totally different from one another.· But the courts will only agree that they're living apart if the husband and wife run totally different lives.
· Even states with very different forms of life and different moral world views do in fact behave in similar ways.· For Pitino, the reality appears to be very different.· The obligations to be dealt with are the same, but the approach is very different as between the buyer and the seller.· This habit is very different from the territoriality of many animals, who are content to expel intruders.· Doris and I have very different temperaments, if you know what I mean, but we complement each other.· All were very different from one another.· But they are very different in temperament.· Economists make very different specifications about the nature of human behaviour than do sociologists or psychologists.
NOUN· This happens because each eye looks at the pencil from a slightly different angle.· But they still look at things from a different angle.· But Christopher has a slightly different angle on why Agnew's have decided to take this leap into the present.· It calls for turning around and approaching the problem from a completely different angle.· I like the way some faces can be made to look at different angles and under changes of light.· These teeth are also shorter and set at a different angle from the other teeth.· The challenge will be to approach from a different angle.
· It is also going for a different approach to merchandising in store, for example siting Waistline beside fresh produce.· So entirely different approaches are needed for casual partners.· This did not deter this student from persisting with different approaches to overcome difficulties.· A summary of different approaches to jurisprudence and judicial decision making among developed countries.· We might proceed in this way, but a different approach is simpler.· The attorneys general in Florida and Massachusetts are taking a different approach.· The origin of a different approach lies in the mid-nineteenth century in Lumley v. Gye.· Do different approaches account for the politics of particular systems?
· Moreover, other inventors may be stimulated by what they see to make a breakthrough in an entirely different area.· And that may mean moving the event to a different area in the county all together.· I think Drama appeals to a different area of the psyche.· A large practice of 40 or 50 physicians may have a chief administrator and several assistants, each responsible for different areas.· And is it true that you can achieve that long-desired perfect body shape from toning up different areas like thighs and buttocks?· Movement involves a fairly complex and chaotic series of interactions among different areas of the brain.· The report examines the investment and development opportunities in different areas of the world.· Different recognisers have different areas of strength and weakness, so it may be possible to combine them into one system.
· Of three of the principal women, Midge and Alexia so clearly belong to different classes, and Cressy to none.· The most fundamental value that distinguishes classes differs for different class theorists.· Tack and Turnout Tack requirements vary for different classes and may be stated on the schedule.· The asteroid belt is broadly zoned into bands of different classes of asteroids.· In a different class of important circuits, positive feedback is applied over a band of frequencies from zero frequency upwards.· But the great change is that nowadays there is a complete separation of children of different classes.· In schoolboy moto-cross, there are six different classes, all different ages and all on different sized machinery.· All kinds of people here, different classes and manners and ways of reading.
· They have, no doubt, been adapting themselves to their new home, to a different country and to their new school.· At one time Charley's Aunt was being performed in 48 different countries simultaneously.· A theme is often a good way of introducing a music session such as spring, holiday time, music from different countries.· The same jokes are told about foreigners in different countries.· The next is the disparity between different countries.· These two equations then are essentially the Barro model applied to a number of different countries.
· A hard disk is usually built into the computer and is a slightly different form of storage.· Because the truth would emerge as soon as you converted the energy into a different form.· A difference in word form signals a difference in meaning, so two different forms can not carry the selfsame meaning.· As development proceeds, egocentrism slowly wanes and is revived in a different form when new cognitive structures are attained.· That too is a product of the hatred, but in a slightly different form from mere rejection.· But it is a different form of government.· Here the external economies were of a different form and the location, of course, is today no longer in the inner city.· The next chapter will extend further the explanation of how the structures interact to produce different forms of the body politic.
· Thus when there is an observable conflict between different groups then whosoever gets their way has power.· One year I gave over fifty speeches to as many different groups.· However, these commentators seem to have forgotten that the level of consciousness of different groups of black people varies.· And flower names for the different groups.· Study participants were randomly assigned to two different groups.· The frequency of symptoms or pathogens in different groups of patient was compared by Fisher's exact test.· But in San Francisco, there would be eight different groups rending his flesh from the bones.
· It has independently evolved a quite different kind of lung from that of our ancestors - an air chamber surrounding the gills.· Many people feel that different kinds of drinks produce different kinds of hangovers.· People, of course, live in a number of different kinds of social relations and contexts.· A comparison of different kinds of rocket engines with each other requires some measure of their performance.· Just 33 years ago to sail solo round the world was a very different kind of deal.· B.. Regardless of what instrumentation you had, you still played these different kinds of songs.· As well as posing different kinds of questions, paradigms will involve different and incompatible standards.
· It denotes different levels in the staff hierarchy.· It brings a different level of interaction.· This will necessarily involve some interaction between the different levels of analysis.· This presents a different level of quality of service and perhaps even a loss of functionality.· When they allowed for four different levels of transactions costs, they concluded that many potential opportunities for profitable arbitrage remained.· The group had developed different relationships with different levels of supervision.· Transcending different levels of analysis can also affect the type of inferences.· The function of the additional grapheme can he analyzed on two different levels, phonetic and graphic.
· Translating the theory into practice is quite a different matter.· However, in the workplace, where productivity thrives on positive relationships, it can be a different matter.· The others looked at me oddly; they didn't have bulimics in their group - that was a different matter.· But it was an entirely different matter to attempt a communal discernment in a large and already polarized parish.· However, the proposed cross-town route is a different matter.· Inside, it was a different matter.
· Overall, different people, as members of many different groups, prevail on particular issues.· Finally it is important to note the relative influence of different people in the decision-making process.· Actually, we both have different personalities, and we are totally different people.· Different styles of influence will be used by different people in different situations.· Rodney says he was seen by three different people on his way down the mountain.· A Jacobite solution could be attractive to different people for different reasons at different times.
· Not surprisingly research on different places produced conflicting results.· An Irving Gill-designed Balboa Park would have been a very different place from the one we love today.· They sat at different places in the room, most of them also with drinks cradled in their hands.· In each different place, he caught different furry creatures that I would never have known existed.· In the absence of you, this world would be a different place.· There were 17 different places where the dirt-and-rock bed of the tracks had been washed away.· After twenty miles, the three slick-ship companies separated, to land at different places around the target.
· Groups Groups, like the people that comprise them, come in different shapes and sizes.· Note the different shapes, and use of a half profile for assured symmetry.· It was a complex job: there were three colors of brick and over fifty different shapes.· Naturally straight, black hair was set at the crown on small curlers then gelled into two different shapes.· The August Revolution, as the Communists would henceforth dub it, assumed different shapes in different places.· The drill itself is a different shape to most models, having a long slender handle and snub-nosed body.· You can use the many different shapes and designs shown in this book for miniature work, as well as larger pictures.
· Rather surprisingly, the time spent boring and ingesting a meal does not vary very much for whelks of different sizes.· A company the size of Midvale might have thousands of drawings, in a crazy quilt of different sizes.· Moreover, lectures can be used for groups of different sizes - an advantage in practical timetabling.· In Imperial Rome alone, there are estimated to have been over 800 thermae of different sizes and accommodation.· Provolone cheeses are made in different sizes and shapes and each bears a distinguishing name.· Why is one of the shirts a different size? - Because it's for some one else.· And the samples come with the option of enlargement to three different sizes.
· As I told you, I have my eyes on a very different sort of market.· His beauty was of a different sort, raw and elegant.· This depends on a huge number of different receptor proteins, each tuned to a different sort of chemical stimulus.· Third, Hsu Fu was a very different sort of raft.· That's a very different sort of activity.· Not now anyway, as he was engaged in a different sort of lifesaving operation: his own.· It just made you ask different sorts of questions.· This suggests that those entering long-stay hospital care present different sorts of needs from those entering public/private nursing home or residential care.
· Not officially, according to him, but she was certain his fiancée would tell a different story.· Last year, however, was a different story.· But the Earl's followers - and among them was his young nephew William Marshal - told a very different story.· They then have a moment of near romance before wandering off into a different story.· I would do anything rather than spoil your chance in life, and you may have heard different stories about me.· Minnesota, the first state to institute statewide choice, was a different story altogether.· My second book, although it has used the same idea of telekinetic powers, has a completely different story line.· Taxes on rented and business property are a different story.
· How different things seem with a little light on the subject, I mused.· As it happens, different sorts of Democrats seem to be for different things.· Different models are good at different things.· Any group viewing a classroom recording is likely to notice a variety of different things.· They showed him in different poses and doing different things.· For foreign policy can connote one of a number of different things.· Passing an amendment to end slavery and actually banishing involuntary servitude are two different things.
· To this a variety of solutions were given at different times.· But those were different times at an unusual agency pursuing a visionary mission.· At different times, for different groups the process takes different forms, but the general effect remains the same.· Different criteria of mate preference develop in different cultures at different times.· In total no more than a few dozen local groups existed at different times in the 1840s and 1850s.· How were you different at these different times of your life? 18.· Since we all experience all four life-positions at different times and in different situations we can at least increase the frequency of OKness.· To accommodate such large numbers, visitors were asked to arrive at different times, all carefully co-ordinated to avoid a jam.
· There are many different types of fitting.· And what motivates different types of people?· But it is necessary to link the treatment to the different types of problems.· Even beyond the encoding methods mentioned above, there is the possibility of a different type of preprocessing.· First, you must appreciate that a helicopter produces two different types of lift.· Mixed into different types of doughs it adds sweetness, color, and scent.· Does motivation vary between individuals and between different types of occupations? 6.· Several different types of autoantibodies have been described in inflammatory bowel disease and primary sclerosing cholangitis.
· We offer, finally, a different view from a leading environmentalist.· The au pair may have a different view of her status in the household than her employers do.· Even if you had different views, you felt you should not impose those views on a significant minority.· Blacks and whites do continue to express different views about the jury decisions themselves, the poll finds.· Do men and women hold different views about what constitutes health?· Typically, psychological problems and personality disorders compound as obesity creates a different view of reality.· We parted amicably, still holding different views of my worth!· In the derveni papyrus a different view is found.
· This means you can change its layout in many different ways with great ease.· There are different ways to prepare an inventory.· Just because dolphins use language in a different way does not mean that they lack high intelligence or can not communicate.· The United States might have created the atomic bomb in hundreds of different ways.· The myth of Osiris must have been told and retold to eager audiences over many centuries and in many different ways.· Gay people lead many different kinds of lives in many different ways, with varying degrees of happiness and success.· The notion of level in a hierarchy can be construed in two different ways.· Any marketplace can be structured in different ways by government rules, of course.
· Stress signals can manifest themselves in different ways according to the individual's predisposition and personality.· We hear one story being told over and over again, in many different ways, and with many different outcomes.· There must have been many different ways for brachiopods to exploit their simple mode of life.· There are no current rules covering this situation, and companies report it in different ways.· Different units will have found different ways of saving money.· Before you sell any mutual funds, minimize taxes by checking different ways of computing costs.· Four different ways have been suggested in which one might seek a resolution of the problem of the collapse of the wavepacket.· Mathematics, literature, social studies, and science offer them different ways to think about dynamic relationships within the whole.
· I still couldn't believe I was here, in a different world, all peace and beauty.· They had come from two different worlds.· She meant quite a different world.· That they live in a profoundly different world, and that they live in it differently.· There were no ruptures of meaning, as the different worlds were momentarily juxtaposed.· The courses are two different worlds, but are just 10 miles apart.· We live in different worlds but they overlap.· He had been to school one day and already he was using phrases and assuming roles that belonged to a different world.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► be in a different league► be a different/tricky/simple etc proposition► be on the same/a different wavelength
- But as I take my very first step on to the ground she becomes a very different animal.
- Each dancer had to assume the actions of a different animal.
- I was a Territorial, a very different animal.
- My second example, although involving a very different animal, raises the same kind of questions.
- So in Utah now, Rivendell is really a different animal.
- You should repeat each test at least ten times using a different animal of the same kind for each test.
- It may put a different complexion on things.
- To me, the fact that she hasn't been heard of again in seventeen years puts a different complexion on it.
- Accounting was a horse of a different color, although the Bureau tended to use the words "planning" and "accounting" to mean the same thing.
- But the wilful destruction of young lives was a different kettle of fish altogether.
- For machines with pots of memory and using Windows, though, RAMdrive is a different kettle of fish.
- Harvey, with his public school accent and laid-back manner, was a different kettle of fish.
- Miss Braithwaite was clearly a different kettle of fish from the other Deaconess he'd met, Miss Tilley.
- The other envelope, however, was a different kettle of fish.
- The Schaubu hne is a different kettle of fish.
- Tonally the Atlantis is a different kettle of fish from any Rick I've ever played before.
- Whether or not he would ever admit it was a different kettle of fish entirely.
- Christopher would tell me all sorts of things I would never know otherwise.
- If you know different contact: who would like to get this year's books completed.
- Just another wench, he told himself angrily, but deep down he knew different.
- Now, presumably, they know different.
- The answer is probably no - but do you know otherwise?
- The public may think the law applies only to the most dangerous offenders, but inmates know otherwise.
- We knew otherwise - and told you so on October 26, 1990.
- We teach them, you know different things.
- But, like the National Health Service, education could be seen in a different light.
- He found there a country whose characteristics cast the philosophy of birth control in a new light.
- I've seen him at a distance, I've seen him in bad light.
- I think we both saw young Mr Venn in new lights, and they were neither favorable nor unfavorable, just new.
- It makes you think about those sullen high schoolers in a different light, see their lives along a time line.
- So let us fantasise, and see industry and agriculture in a new light.
- They literally saw the whole world in a new light.
- They perch too far away in bad light.
- But the Friday round, during which a steady rain fell unceasingly, was a different matter.
- But the possessions of the church of Canterbury were a different matter.
- But the saying and the doing are different matters and are often worlds apart.
- However, in the workplace, where productivity thrives on positive relationships, it can be a different matter.
- The others looked at me oddly; they didn't have bulimics in their group - that was a different matter.
- Now he is singing a different tune.
- You're singing a different tune now from the one you sang after you'd left her behind and got yourself arrested.
- Between races it was a different story.
- But his recent speeches, carried on the Internet and in church publications, tell a different story.
- But it is a different story when we focus on phonological change.
- It means that if the engineer comes up with a different story they can use this to embarrass the plaintiff at trial.
- Lee told a different story in her lawsuit.
- Perhaps if people had spoken up, taken a strong stand, history would tell a different story.
- Taxes on rented and business property are a different story.
- They then have a moment of near romance before wandering off into a different story.
WORD FAMILYnoundifferencedifferentiationverbdifferdifferentiateadjectivedifferentadverbdifferently
1not like something or someone else, or not like before OPP similardifferent from Our sons are very different from each other.different to Her jacket’s different to mine.different than American English He seemed different than he did in New York. The place looks completely different now. They decided to try a radically different approach. We found women had significantly different political views from men. a slightly different way of doing things What actually happened was subtly different from the PR people’s version. The show is refreshingly different from most exhibitions of modern art. The publishing business is no different from any other business in this respect. It’s a different world here in London.GRAMMAR: Prepositions with different• You usually say different from: · Their home is different from ours.• In American English, people also say different than: · Their home is different than ours.• In spoken British English, people also say different to: · Their home is different to ours. ✗Don’t say: Their home is different of ours.2[only before noun] used to talk about two or more separate things of the same basic kind SYN various: Different people reacted in different ways.different types/kinds etc There are many different types of fabric. I looked in lots of different books but couldn’t find anything about it.3[only before noun] another: I think she’s moved to a different job now.4spoken unusual, often in a way that you do not like: ‘What did you think of the film?’ ‘Well, it was certainly different.’—differently adverb: I didn’t expect to be treated any differently from anyone else. Things could have turned out quite differently.THESAURUSdifferent if something or someone is different, they are not like something or someone else, or they are not like they were before: · You look different. Have you had your hair cut?· We’ve painted the door a different colour.· The cultures of the two countries are very different.unique very different, special, or unusual and the only one of its kind. Don’t use words such as very before unique: · The book is certainly very rare, and possibly unique.· the unique wildlife of the Galapagos Islandsdistinctive having a special feature or appearance that makes something different from other things, and makes it easy to recognize: · Male birds have distinctive blue and yellow markings.unlike [preposition] completely different from a particular person or thing: · In Britain, unlike the United States, the government provides health care.have nothing in common if two people have nothing in common, they do not have the same interests or opinions and therefore cannot form a friendly relationship: · Apart from the fact that we went to the same school, we have absolutely nothing in common.there’s no/little resemblance used when saying that two people or things seem very different: · There’s no resemblance between the two sisters at all.· The final product bore no resemblance to the original proposal (=it was very different).dissimilar formal not the same as something else: · These four politically dissimilar states have all signed a treaty of friendship and cooperation.be like chalk and cheese British English informal if two people are like chalk and cheese, they are completely different: · It’s hard to believe that they’re brothers – they’re like chalk and cheese!be (like) apples and oranges American English informal used when saying that two people or things are very different: · You can't compare residential and commercial real estate markets. It's apples and oranges.· Obama and Romney are apples and oranges.· Comparing homemade soup to canned soup is really comparing apples and oranges.