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Glite Dictionary
couldn't be more different

couldn't be more different

1 5.0
Very different from each other in every way
  • idiom
translation icon : no podrían ser más diferentes
  • Some of you couldn't be more different from those people.
  • two couldn't be more different

Some of you couldn't be more different from those people.

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Examples

  • Yeah, two humans that couldn't be more different if you tried to put them on the same staff.

    The Pivot Podcast

  • In terms of their lifestyles, my sister and I could not be more different.

  • And their properties couldn't be more different, right?

  • They may be brothers, but they couldn't be more different

    An American Carol (2008)

  • Chiron has to mediate between these two Titans, who couldn't be more different.

    Blog text (14)

  • A day spent at home caring for a child could not be more different from a day spent working in an office.

  • The two paintings couldn't be more different, with one being vibrant and colorful while the other is dark and subdued.

Synonyms

different
vscouldn't be more different
∞ 1.0

Not the same as another person or thing

adds emphasis to show an extreme and total contrast
distinct
vscouldn't be more different
168 3.5

Clearly different from others

expresses a stronger total difference beyond mere separation
far cry from
vscouldn't be more different
  • Informal
27 4.9

Very different from what you expect, often in a disappointing way

highlights a large gap but can imply disappointment
dissimilar
vscouldn't be more different
17 3.8

Different in appearance or nature

is used less strongly and less extreme in meaning
irreconcilable
vscouldn't be more different
11 7.7

So different that people cannot agree

focuses on extreme incompatibility rather than simple difference
worlds apart
vscouldn't be more different
  • Informal
9 4.5

People or things that are very different and have nothing important in common

is used to stress an extreme and total difference
contrasting
vscouldn't be more different
4 3.7

Clearly different from one another in a way you notice

is more about strong contrast but less about total opposition
as different as dog and cat
vscouldn't be more different
  • Informal
6.9

Very different from each other in important ways

expresses very strong, vivid contrast between items

How Different

couldn't be more different
1 5.0
distinct
168 3.5
different
∞ 1.0
similar
∞ 1.0
alike
359 1.0

Surface Forms

couldn't be more different main

Morphology

couldn't + be + more + different

The meaning 'extremely different' is directly derived from the literal composition: 'couldn't (cannot) be' + comparative 'more different' => 'it is impossible to be more different', i.e. maximally different. This is a productive comparative-negation pattern found cross-linguistically and follows standard English grammar, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words and basic comparative structures will understand it.

Etymology

The phrase couldn't be more different paints a simple picture: imagine two people standing at opposite ends of a room so they cannot be any more different. So, it means 'very different'.