Meanings
present singular third person makes a difference · participle present making a difference · participle past made a difference · past made a difference
- idiomaticintransitiveTo carry out an action, the result of which is a significant change, or an altered circumstance.
Near-synonym: move the needle
1 more example
I was hoping that, by volunteering at this refuge, I could make a difference, however small.
Synonyms: move the needle
- idiomaticintransitiveTo be of importance; to matter.
I don't think it makes a difference whether you come tonight or not.
1 more example
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.
2013, Debora L. Spar, Wonder Women, page 114
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo carry out an action, the result of which is a significant change, or an altered circumstance.
Translations
Bulgarian имам значение
- имам значение (imam značenie)be of importance
Chinese Mandarin 做出一點改變 /做出一点改变, 做出點貢獻 /做出点贡献
- 做出一點改變 /做出一点改变 (zuòchū yīdiǎn gǎibiàn)carry out an action the result of which is significant
- 做出點貢獻 /做出点贡献 (zuòchū diǎn gòngxiàn)carry out an action the result of which is significant
- 要緊 /要紧 (yàojǐn)be of importance
- 有關係 /有关系 (yǒu guānxi)be of importance
Dutch een verschil maken, een verschil maken
- een verschil makencarry out an action the result of which is significant
- een verschil makenbe of importance
Finnish olla merkitystä, vaikuttaa
- olla merkitystäcarry out an action the result of which is significant
- vaikuttaacarry out an action the result of which is significant
- olla väliäbe of importance
- olla merkitystäbe of importance
French faire bouger les lignes, changer les choses
- faire bouger les lignescarry out an action the result of which is significant
- changer les chosescarry out an action the result of which is significant
German einen Unterschied machen, einen Unterschied machen
- einen Unterschied machencarry out an action the result of which is significant
- einen Unterschied machenbe of importance
Hungarian változást ér el, jelentősége van
- változást ér elcarry out an action the result of which is significant
- jelentősége vanbe of importance
- számítbe of importance
- van értelmebe of importance
Icelandic gera mismun, muna
- gera mismuncarry out an action the result of which is significant
- munabe of importance
Irish difríocht a dhéanamh, difríocht a dhéanamh
- difríocht a dhéanamhcarry out an action the result of which is significant
- difríocht a dhéanamhbe of importance
Latin intersum
- intersumbe of importance
Polish robić różnicę, zrobić różnicę
- robić różnicęcarry out an action the result of which is significant
- zrobić różnicęcarry out an action the result of which is significant
- robić różnicębe of importance
- zrobić różnicębe of importance
Portuguese fazer uma diferença
- fazer uma diferençacarry out an action the result of which is significant
Spanish marcar una diferencia
- marcar una diferenciacarry out an action the result of which is significant
Swedish göra skillnad, göra skillnad
- göra skillnadcarry out an action the result of which is significant
- göra skillnadbe of importance
- spela rollbe of importance
Welsh oes gwahaniaeth/ots gan/gyda
- oes gwahaniaeth/ots gan/gydabe of importance
Cite this entry
make a difference. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/make%20a%20difference
“make a difference.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/make%20a%20difference. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “make a difference,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/make%20a%20difference.
Source: make a difference on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.