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matter

matter

904 2.9
A problem that causes worry or makes someone unwell
  • noun
  • /ˈmætər/
: problema
  • The DA apparently declined to pursue the matter, but by then Lee had left for California.
  • make matters worse
  • complicate matters
  • a matter of concern

Examples

  • Intentionally inflicted damage is a criminal matter, and most countries already have laws on the books for this.

    Academic text (2011)
  • On vacation, holed up in a hotel room, my parents asked, "What's the matter with you?"

    Academic text (2017)
  • What is the matter with you?

  • Sometimes I have to think over matters before I make a decision.

    Academic text (2013)
  • Next came the equally important matter of buying myself a dress for the wedding.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • But then, it's no laughing matter.

  • To what extent would it matter if Evergrande collapsed?

  • The new budget proposal is a serious matter that requires our immediate attention.

  • Addressing this safety issue is a crucial matter for the well-being of our community.

  • It's becoming clear that the environmental crisis is a matter of great concern for everyone.

Synonyms

problem
vsmatter
∞ 1.2

A situation that causes trouble and needs a solution

is mainly a concern or sign that something is wrong and may not need action
trouble
vsmatter
∞ 1.0

A situation that causes difficulty, worry, or inconvenience

is about something wrong or concerning rather than emotional distress

Antonyms

∞ 2.1

An answer to a problem or a way to deal with a difficult situation

238 1.0

A state of comfort and freedom from worry

Idioms

∞ 2.2

Whatever happens, it makes no difference

735 3.2

Something is true whatever way it happens

460 2.0

A question asking why someone is upset or not feeling well

To say that something is true, often when it is surprising

238 3.9

It is also true of something just mentioned

It will certainly happen, but you do not know when

A phrase that says something will happen despite problems

63 1.6

Whatever the situation, the action or result stays the same

A very serious situation where someone may die

The most important part of a problem or discussion

Done regularly without extra thought

Whatever the result, it does not change what someone does or feels

The most important part of a problem or discussion

A fact stays true whatever way you look at it

Compounds

The main topic a talk, book, or picture is about

dark matter
  • Specialized
52 7.5

An invisible substance that does not give off or take in light and pulls things by gravity

Calm and direct about facts without strong feeling

gray matter
  • Specialized
12 4.1

The darker part of the brain and spinal cord containing nerve cells or used to mean being smart

matter of law
  • Formal
12 7.4

An issue a judge decides about how the law applies

8 4.2

Solid waste that leaves the body after it digests food

Something that people expect to happen without special effort

white matter
  • Specialized
7 5.0

Tissue in the brain and spinal cord that carries messages between different brain areas

particulate matter
  • Specialized
4 5.1

Tiny solid or liquid pieces in the air that can harm health

state of matter
  • Specialized
2 3.7

A form that a substance can take, like solid, liquid, or gas

Parts of plants, such as leaves and stems, that can rot

1 1.9

Things people throw away because they are not useful

front matter
  • Specialized
1 4.6

Pages at the start of a book, like the title page and table of contents

back matter
  • Specialized
1 6.0

Sections at the end of a book that give extra information like appendices and an index

1 3.9

The idea that matter cannot be created or destroyed in a closed system but only changes form

1 6.6

A question about what really happened that the jury must decide

end matter
  • Specialized
1 6.5

Written pages after the main text that give extra information, like an index or a list of sources

Text to be printed or published without pictures

Pictures like photos and drawings in a text that explain or decorate it

Happening in a normal, expected way

The written words in a book or article, not the pictures

1 4.8

A rule that matter cannot be made or destroyed in a closed container, so the total amount stays the same

front matter
  • Texting
7.0

A block of information at the start of a digital file that gives title and date for website tools

Pictures like photographs, drawings, or charts in a book that are not written words

Information shown in a table using rows and columns

How Serious

crisis
∞ 3.1
matter
904 2.9
issue
∞ 3.0
nuisance
62 3.6

Surface Forms

matter singular
matters plural

Etymology

Matter in the sense of a problem comes from the same root materia, meaning 'the thing' or 'material', so if there is 'something the matter' it is the thing that is wrong and needs attention.