difference

/ˈdɪf(ə)ɹəns/
noun 5verb 1

Collocations

43
1

(noun.) way in which people/things are not the same

ADJ

big, broad, considerable, dramatic, enormous, great, huge, large, major, profound, radical, real, sharp, substantial, vast, wide

Learning a second language as a child makes a huge difference to how quickly you progress.

basic, essential, fundamental | crucial, important, key, significant | clear, distinct, marked, notable, noticeable, obvious, striking | minor, slight, subtle | national, regional | age, class, cultural, ethnic, gender, genetic, physical, psychological, racial, sex, social | historical, ideological, political

temperature, time

There's a big temperature difference between the sunny beach and the air-conditioned mall.

VERB + DIFFERENCE

make

Having a good teacher can make a real difference in a student's life.

mean

Having a good teacher can really mean the difference in how well students learn.

exaggerate, emphasize, focus on, highlight, stress, underline

The report highlighted key differences between the two training methods.

appreciate, be aware of, feel, know, notice, perceive, see, spot, tell

Most people can easily spot the difference between fresh and stale bread.

explain, illustrate

examine, explore, look at

The report examined the key differences in how the two companies managed their finances.

show

The new training program showed a clear difference in how quickly the employees completed their tasks.

reflect

The quality of the two products clearly reflects the price difference between them.

DIFFERENCE + VERB

be, lie

The main difference between the two recipes is the cooking temperature.

arise (from sth), exist

Several important differences exist between the two versions of the software.

PREP

~ between

Learning to cook takes practice, unlike the difference between watching cooking shows and actually preparing meals.

~ from

Her accent made a big difference from what people expected to hear in that small town.

~ in

There is a big difference in how the two restaurants prepare their food.

~ of

There was a significant difference of opinion between the two managers about the project timeline.

~ with

The main difference with my new phone is the bigger screen.

PHRASES

a with a difference

We're looking for a restaurant with a difference, somewhere that serves unusual food.

all the difference in the world

Having a good teacher can make all the difference in the world to a student's success.

a great deal of/a lot difference

Your new glasses have made a great deal of difference to how well you can see.

make all the difference

Having a good teacher can make all the difference in how well students learn.

no difference/not much difference

There is no difference between the two recipes, so you can use either one.

2

(noun.) sum of money in addition to the sum expected

VERB + DIFFERENCE

pay

When he upgraded his phone, he had to pay the difference between the old and new prices.

make up

My salary was lower than expected, so my parents offered to make up the difference.

pocket

When I returned the damaged item, the store refunded me and I pocketed the difference between the sale price and what I paid.

split

My sister wanted to spend $100 and I wanted to spend $50, so we split the difference at $75.

3

(noun.) disagreement

ADJ

irreconcilable, major, serious, sharp | minor, slight

outstanding

There are still some outstanding differences between what the two companies want to agree on.

VERB + DIFFERENCE

have

My parents have some differences about money, but they love each other very much.

make up, patch up, put aside, reconcile, resolve, settle

The two countries agreed to resolve their differences through diplomacy rather than military conflict.

DIFFERENCE + VERB

arise, emerge, occur

When the two friends compared their test answers, several mistakes emerged in their calculations.

remain

There are still some differences that remain between what the two friends originally agreed on.

PREP

~ as to/over

The two friends had a disagreement over the best way to spend their vacation.

PHRASES

a difference of opinion

My parents had a difference of opinion about which city we should move to.

have your differences

My sister and I have our differences, but we still get along well.

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