See make a difference in All languages combined, or Wiktionary
Download JSON data for make a difference meaning in English (7.5kB)
{
"derived": [
{
"_dis1": "100 0",
"word": "difference maker"
},
{
"_dis1": "100 0",
"word": "difference-making"
}
],
"forms": [
{
"form": "makes a difference",
"tags": [
"present",
"singular",
"third-person"
]
},
{
"form": "making a difference",
"tags": [
"participle",
"present"
]
},
{
"form": "made a difference",
"tags": [
"participle",
"past"
]
},
{
"form": "made a difference",
"tags": [
"past"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "make<,,made> a difference"
},
"expansion": "make a difference (third-person singular simple present makes a difference, present participle making a difference, simple past and past participle made a difference)",
"name": "en-verb"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "verb",
"related": [
{
"_dis1": "100 0",
"word": "make all the difference"
}
],
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
{
"_dis": "48 52",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
"parents": [
"Entries with incorrect language header",
"Entry maintenance"
],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "46 54",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
"parents": [
"Entries with language name categories using raw markup",
"Entry maintenance"
],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "50 50",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English predicates",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "48 52",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
"parents": [
"Terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
"Entry maintenance"
],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"examples": [
{
"text": "I was hoping that, by volunteering at this refuge, I could make a difference, however small.",
"type": "example"
}
],
"glosses": [
"To carry out an action, the result of which is a significant change, or an altered circumstance."
],
"id": "en-make_a_difference-en-verb-xDGVWf0Z",
"links": [
[
"action",
"action"
],
[
"change",
"change"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(idiomatic, intransitive) To carry out an action, the result of which is a significant change, or an altered circumstance."
],
"tags": [
"idiomatic",
"intransitive"
],
"translations": [
{
"_dis1": "97 3",
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"sense": "carry out an action the result of which is significant",
"word": "做出一點改變"
},
{
"_dis1": "97 3",
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"roman": "zuòchū yīdiǎn gǎibiàn",
"sense": "carry out an action the result of which is significant",
"word": "做出一点改变"
},
{
"_dis1": "97 3",
"code": "cmn",
"english": "make some contribution",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"sense": "carry out an action the result of which is significant",
"word": "做出點貢獻"
},
{
"_dis1": "97 3",
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"roman": "zuòchū diǎn gòngxiàn",
"sense": "carry out an action the result of which is significant",
"word": "做出点贡献"
},
{
"_dis1": "97 3",
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "carry out an action the result of which is significant",
"word": "olla merkitystä"
},
{
"_dis1": "97 3",
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "carry out an action the result of which is significant",
"word": "vaikuttaa"
},
{
"_dis1": "97 3",
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"sense": "carry out an action the result of which is significant",
"word": "változást ér el"
},
{
"_dis1": "97 3",
"code": "pl",
"lang": "Polish",
"sense": "carry out an action the result of which is significant",
"tags": [
"imperfective"
],
"word": "robić różnicę"
},
{
"_dis1": "97 3",
"code": "pl",
"lang": "Polish",
"sense": "carry out an action the result of which is significant",
"tags": [
"perfective"
],
"word": "zrobić różnicę"
},
{
"_dis1": "97 3",
"code": "pt",
"lang": "Portuguese",
"sense": "carry out an action the result of which is significant",
"word": "fazer uma diferença"
},
{
"_dis1": "97 3",
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "carry out an action the result of which is significant",
"word": "marcar una diferencia"
},
{
"_dis1": "97 3",
"code": "sv",
"lang": "Swedish",
"sense": "carry out an action the result of which is significant",
"word": "göra skillnad"
}
]
},
{
"categories": [
{
"_dis": "48 52",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
"parents": [
"Entries with incorrect language header",
"Entry maintenance"
],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "46 54",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
"parents": [
"Entries with language name categories using raw markup",
"Entry maintenance"
],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "43 57",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English light verb constructions",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "50 50",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English predicates",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "48 52",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
"parents": [
"Terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
"Entry maintenance"
],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"examples": [
{
"text": "I don't think it makes a difference whether you come tonight or not.",
"type": "example"
},
{
"ref": "2013, Debora L. Spar, Wonder Women, page 114",
"text": "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.",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"To be of importance; to matter."
],
"id": "en-make_a_difference-en-verb-U-6fRNZy",
"links": [
[
"importance",
"importance"
],
[
"matter",
"matter"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(idiomatic, intransitive) To be of importance; to matter."
],
"tags": [
"idiomatic",
"intransitive"
],
"translations": [
{
"_dis1": "1 99",
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"sense": "be of importance",
"word": "要緊"
},
{
"_dis1": "1 99",
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"roman": "yàojǐn",
"sense": "be of importance",
"word": "要紧"
},
{
"_dis1": "1 99",
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"sense": "be of importance",
"word": "有關係"
},
{
"_dis1": "1 99",
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"roman": "yǒu guānxi",
"sense": "be of importance",
"word": "有关系"
},
{
"_dis1": "1 99",
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "be of importance",
"word": "olla väliä"
},
{
"_dis1": "1 99",
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "be of importance",
"word": "olla merkitystä"
},
{
"_dis1": "1 99",
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"sense": "be of importance",
"word": "jelentősége van"
},
{
"_dis1": "1 99",
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"sense": "be of importance",
"word": "számít"
},
{
"_dis1": "1 99",
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"sense": "be of importance",
"word": "van értelme"
},
{
"_dis1": "1 99",
"code": "la",
"lang": "Latin",
"sense": "be of importance",
"word": "intersum"
},
{
"_dis1": "1 99",
"code": "pl",
"lang": "Polish",
"sense": "be of importance",
"tags": [
"imperfective"
],
"word": "robić różnicę"
},
{
"_dis1": "1 99",
"code": "pl",
"lang": "Polish",
"sense": "be of importance",
"tags": [
"perfective"
],
"word": "zrobić różnicę"
},
{
"_dis1": "1 99",
"code": "sv",
"lang": "Swedish",
"sense": "be of importance",
"word": "göra skillnad"
},
{
"_dis1": "1 99",
"code": "sv",
"lang": "Swedish",
"sense": "be of importance",
"word": "spela roll"
},
{
"_dis1": "1 99",
"code": "cy",
"lang": "Welsh",
"sense": "be of importance",
"word": "oes gwahaniaeth/ots gan/gyda"
}
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"audio": "En-au-make a difference.ogg",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/0/03/En-au-make_a_difference.ogg/En-au-make_a_difference.ogg.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/03/En-au-make_a_difference.ogg",
"tags": [
"Australia"
],
"text": "Audio (AU)"
}
],
"word": "make a difference"
}
{
"categories": [
"English entries with incorrect language header",
"English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
"English lemmas",
"English light verb constructions",
"English multiword terms",
"English predicates",
"English terms with audio links",
"English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
"English verbs"
],
"derived": [
{
"word": "difference maker"
},
{
"word": "difference-making"
}
],
"forms": [
{
"form": "makes a difference",
"tags": [
"present",
"singular",
"third-person"
]
},
{
"form": "making a difference",
"tags": [
"participle",
"present"
]
},
{
"form": "made a difference",
"tags": [
"participle",
"past"
]
},
{
"form": "made a difference",
"tags": [
"past"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "make<,,made> a difference"
},
"expansion": "make a difference (third-person singular simple present makes a difference, present participle making a difference, simple past and past participle made a difference)",
"name": "en-verb"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "verb",
"related": [
{
"word": "make all the difference"
}
],
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
"English idioms",
"English intransitive verbs",
"English terms with usage examples"
],
"examples": [
{
"text": "I was hoping that, by volunteering at this refuge, I could make a difference, however small.",
"type": "example"
}
],
"glosses": [
"To carry out an action, the result of which is a significant change, or an altered circumstance."
],
"links": [
[
"action",
"action"
],
[
"change",
"change"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(idiomatic, intransitive) To carry out an action, the result of which is a significant change, or an altered circumstance."
],
"tags": [
"idiomatic",
"intransitive"
]
},
{
"categories": [
"English idioms",
"English intransitive verbs",
"English terms with quotations",
"English terms with usage examples"
],
"examples": [
{
"text": "I don't think it makes a difference whether you come tonight or not.",
"type": "example"
},
{
"ref": "2013, Debora L. Spar, Wonder Women, page 114",
"text": "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.",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"To be of importance; to matter."
],
"links": [
[
"importance",
"importance"
],
[
"matter",
"matter"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(idiomatic, intransitive) To be of importance; to matter."
],
"tags": [
"idiomatic",
"intransitive"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"audio": "En-au-make a difference.ogg",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/0/03/En-au-make_a_difference.ogg/En-au-make_a_difference.ogg.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/03/En-au-make_a_difference.ogg",
"tags": [
"Australia"
],
"text": "Audio (AU)"
}
],
"translations": [
{
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"sense": "carry out an action the result of which is significant",
"word": "做出一點改變"
},
{
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"roman": "zuòchū yīdiǎn gǎibiàn",
"sense": "carry out an action the result of which is significant",
"word": "做出一点改变"
},
{
"code": "cmn",
"english": "make some contribution",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"sense": "carry out an action the result of which is significant",
"word": "做出點貢獻"
},
{
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"roman": "zuòchū diǎn gòngxiàn",
"sense": "carry out an action the result of which is significant",
"word": "做出点贡献"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "carry out an action the result of which is significant",
"word": "olla merkitystä"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "carry out an action the result of which is significant",
"word": "vaikuttaa"
},
{
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"sense": "carry out an action the result of which is significant",
"word": "változást ér el"
},
{
"code": "pl",
"lang": "Polish",
"sense": "carry out an action the result of which is significant",
"tags": [
"imperfective"
],
"word": "robić różnicę"
},
{
"code": "pl",
"lang": "Polish",
"sense": "carry out an action the result of which is significant",
"tags": [
"perfective"
],
"word": "zrobić różnicę"
},
{
"code": "pt",
"lang": "Portuguese",
"sense": "carry out an action the result of which is significant",
"word": "fazer uma diferença"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "carry out an action the result of which is significant",
"word": "marcar una diferencia"
},
{
"code": "sv",
"lang": "Swedish",
"sense": "carry out an action the result of which is significant",
"word": "göra skillnad"
},
{
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"sense": "be of importance",
"word": "要緊"
},
{
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"roman": "yàojǐn",
"sense": "be of importance",
"word": "要紧"
},
{
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"sense": "be of importance",
"word": "有關係"
},
{
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"roman": "yǒu guānxi",
"sense": "be of importance",
"word": "有关系"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "be of importance",
"word": "olla väliä"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "be of importance",
"word": "olla merkitystä"
},
{
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"sense": "be of importance",
"word": "jelentősége van"
},
{
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"sense": "be of importance",
"word": "számít"
},
{
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"sense": "be of importance",
"word": "van értelme"
},
{
"code": "la",
"lang": "Latin",
"sense": "be of importance",
"word": "intersum"
},
{
"code": "pl",
"lang": "Polish",
"sense": "be of importance",
"tags": [
"imperfective"
],
"word": "robić różnicę"
},
{
"code": "pl",
"lang": "Polish",
"sense": "be of importance",
"tags": [
"perfective"
],
"word": "zrobić różnicę"
},
{
"code": "sv",
"lang": "Swedish",
"sense": "be of importance",
"word": "göra skillnad"
},
{
"code": "sv",
"lang": "Swedish",
"sense": "be of importance",
"word": "spela roll"
},
{
"code": "cy",
"lang": "Welsh",
"sense": "be of importance",
"word": "oes gwahaniaeth/ots gan/gyda"
}
],
"word": "make a difference"
}
This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-04-26 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-04-21 using wiktextract (93a6c53 and 21a9316). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.
If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.