make a difference

English

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

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^[1], 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

• 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)

• Finnish: olla merkitystä, vaikuttaa (fi)
• Hungarian: változást ér el
• Polish: robić różnicę (pl) impf, zrobić różnicę pf
• Portuguese: fazer uma diferença
• Spanish: marcar una diferencia
• Swedish: göra skillnad

be of importance

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 要緊／要紧 (zh) (yàojǐn), 有關係／有关系 (zh) (yǒu guānxi)

• Finnish: olla väliä, olla merkitystä
• Hungarian: jelentősége van, számít (hu), van értelme
• 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