cruel, dog-eat-dog, hard, tough
ancient, medieval, Roman, etc.
contemporary, modern, today's
brave new
The company promised employees a brave new world of flexible working and better pay.
vanishing
My grandmother often talks about the vanishing world of her childhood before the internet existed.
outside, real
She grew up in a small town and felt nervous when she finally entered the real world.
dream, fantasy, imaginary, inner, private
He escaped into his private world whenever things got stressful at work.
spirit
Many people believe that love transcends the physical world and connects us to a spiritual realm.
animal, insect, natural, plant
Scientists discover thousands of new insect world species in rainforests every year.
academic, art, business, fashion, industrial, literary, medical, sports
different
She grew up in a different world compared to her wealthy classmates at school.
sb's own (little)
When he's reading comics, my brother disappears into his own little world and forgets everything else.
whole (wide), wider
His dream was to travel and see the wider world beyond his small hometown.
small
You kept running into your old classmates at university, which showed how small the world really is.