► differentnot like something or someone else, or not the same as before: He looked so different that his own daughter didn’t recognize him.
► not like completely different from another person or thing: The movie was not like the book. They changed just about everything.
► unlike unlike means the same as not like but is more formal: The flavor is unlike anything I’ve ever tasted.
► distinct clearly different and separate from each other: Spanish and Portuguese are two distinct languages.
► dissimilar formal very different from each other: Although the organisms are dissimilar in size, they are very similar in other ways.
► contrasting very different from each other in a noticeable way: The two judges have contrasting views on what the law means.
► contradictory so different from each other that both cannot be true. Used about statements or beliefs: She gave two contradictory explanations for what had happened, so we knew she was lying.
► incompatible so different from each other that both cannot be used or exist together. Used about ideas or methods: Many doctors think that helping a patient die is incompatible with their promise to save people from death.
► inconsistent dealing in different ways with situations or people that are the same: The inconsistent punishments were confusing to the children.