a world of difference
9
3.9
- idiom
- Informal
:
una gran diferencia
- Things change over a short amount of time, and that can make a world of difference to your life.
But small steps can make a world of difference.
- But small steps can make a world of difference.
Examples
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The new e-visa could make a world of difference to travelers.
Blog text (6) -
It's made a world of difference.
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The bedroom is a world of difference when you put in French doors.
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Just a couple of days would make a world of difference.
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That made a world of difference.
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It's a world of difference.
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It's amazing how a solid night's sleep can make a world of difference.
Blog text (13) -
But these service corps members can make a world of difference for any nonprofit.
Blog text (9) -
There's a world of difference between the wild rice harvested from lakes and cultivated wild rice.
Academic text (1998) -
Just 25 cents a day would make a world of difference in this little boy's life.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
A change that makes something better
46
2.7
A change that makes something much better or much worse
19
3.3
A large effect that causes an important change
A fairly large change you can easily notice
Antonyms
How Different
Surface Forms
Morphology
a + world + of + difference
The meaning 'a very great difference' is partly derivable from the constituents because 'world' evokes a large scope and 'difference' is literal, so a learner who knows both words can plausibly infer a large or significant difference. However, 'a world of' is a metaphorical, conventionalized pattern rather than a strictly compositional phrase, so full comprehension may require some familiarity with this idiom.
Etymology
A world of difference comes from picturing two situations as if they were in different worlds, and the word world makes the difference feel huge. So it means 'a very big or important difference'.