make a difference

English

Pronunciation

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Verb

make a difference (third-person singular simple present makes a difference, present participle making a difference, simple past and past participle made a difference)

1. (idiomatic, intransitive) To carry out an action, the result of which is a significant change, or an altered circumstance.

   I was hoping that, by volunteering at this refuge, I could make a difference, however small.

2. (idiomatic, intransitive) To be of importance; to matter.

   I don't think it makes a difference whether you come tonight or not.

   • 2013, Debora L. Spar, Wonder Women‎, page 114:

     Increasingly, it does not make a difference—economically, at least—whether the husband or wife is the primary wage earner, or whether either or both of them work.

Derived terms

• difference maker
• difference-making

Translations

carry out an action the result of which is significant

Bulgarian: please add this translation if you can Chinese: Mandarin: 做出一點改變 / 做出一点改变 (zuòchū yīdiǎn gǎibiàn), (make some contribution) 做出點貢獻 / 做出点贡献 (zuòchū diǎn gòngxiàn) Dutch: een verschil maken Finnish: olla merkitystä, vaikuttaa (fi) German: einen Unterschied machen Hungarian: változást ér el Icelandic: gera mismun Irish: difríocht a dhéanamh Polish: robić różnicę (pl) impf, zrobić różnicę pf Portuguese: fazer uma diferença Spanish: marcar una diferencia Swedish: göra skillnad

be of importance

Bulgarian: имам значение (imam značenie) Chinese: Mandarin: 要緊 / 要紧 (zh) (yàojǐn), 有關係 / 有关系 (zh) (yǒu guānxi) Dutch: een verschil maken Finnish: olla väliä, olla merkitystä German: einen Unterschied machen Hungarian: jelentősége van, számít (hu), van értelme Icelandic: muna (is) Irish: difríocht a dhéanamh Latin: intersum (la) Polish: robić różnicę (pl) impf, zrobić różnicę pf Swedish: göra skillnad, spela roll (sv) Welsh: oes gwahaniaeth/ots gan/gyda

See also

• make all the difference