differ

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(dĭf'ər) pronunciation
intr.v., -fered, -fer·ing, -fers.
  1. To be dissimilar or unlike in nature, quality, amount, or form: Ambition differs from greed.
  2. To be of a different opinion; disagree: The critic differed with the author on several facts.
  3. Obsolete. To quarrel; dispute.

[Middle English differren, from Old French differer, from Latin differre, to differ, delay : dis-, apart; see dis- + ferre, to carry.]

SYNONYMS   differ, disagree, vary. These verbs mean to be unlike or dissimilar: Birds differ from mammals. Their testimony disagreed on several points. People vary in intelligence.
ANTONYM  agree



is widely used without any complement:
While their aims and activities differ slightly, all are clubs in the sense of recruiting members—R. Brown, 1993.
It can be followed by from in the meaning 'to be unlike':
These languages...differ from the Polish dialects discussed above—Language, 1975
Most British school and college mathematics classrooms do not differ much from those of a hundred years ago—D. Pimm, 1988.
When it means 'to disagree (with someone)' it is either used independently (We agreed to differ) or followed by with, but this use is becoming much less common as disagree takes over from it:
Dissanayake...had subsequently differed with the President on such issues as the handling of the withdrawal of Indian troops from Sri Lanka—Keesings, 1990.

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verb

  1. To be unlike or dissimilar: disagree, diverge, vary. Idioms: be at variance. See same/different/compare.
  2. To be of different opinion: disaccord, disagree, discord, dissent, vary. Idioms: jointakeissue. See agree/disagree.


v

Definition: be dissimilar, distinct
Antonyms: agree, be same, conform

v

Definition: clash; hold opposing views
Antonyms: agree, consent, harmonize

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pronunciation

IN BRIEF: To be unlike.

pronunciation Meet your failure nobly, and it will not differ from success. — Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882).

Tutor's tip: The younger brother will always "defer" (to submit or comply) to his big brother, even though their opinions may "differ" (to be unlike; to disagree; to quarrel).

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categories related to 'differ'

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Random House Word Menu by Stephen Glazier
For a list of words related to differ, see:

  See crossword solutions for the clue Differ.
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Dansk (Danish)
v. intr. - afvige, erklære sig uenig, være af en anden opfattelse

idioms:

  • differ about    være uenige om
  • differ from    afvige fra

Nederlands (Dutch)
verschillen, van mening verschillen

Français (French)
v. intr. - différer, être différent, se distinguer de, ne pas être d'accord, ne pas s'entendre (avec qn/sur qch), (Jur) déroger à

idioms:

  • differ about    différer d'opinion à propos de
  • differ from    différer de, (Jur) déroger à

Deutsch (German)
v. - anderer Meinung sein, sich unterscheiden

idioms:

  • differ about    anderer Meinung sein über
  • differ from    sich unterscheiden von

Ελληνική (Greek)
v. - διαφέρω, ποικίλλω, διαφωνώ

idioms:

  • differ about    διαφέρω ως προς
  • differ from    διαφέρω από

Italiano (Italian)
dissentire, differire, variare

idioms:

  • differ about    dissentire su
  • differ from    differire da

Português (Portuguese)
v. - diferir, discordar

idioms:

  • differ about    discordar
  • differ from    ter opinião diferente

Русский (Russian)
отличаться, возражать

idioms:

  • differ about    расходиться во мнениях о
  • differ from    отличаться

Español (Spanish)
v. intr. - discrepar, divergir, diferir, ser distinto, diferenciarse de, variar, discutir

idioms:

  • differ about    no estar de acuerdo sobre, discrepar de
  • differ from    diferir de, diferenciarse de

Svenska (Swedish)
v. - vara olik, vara av olika mening

中文(简体)(Chinese (Simplified))
不一致, 不同

idioms:

  • differ about    对...意见不同
  • differ from    不同

中文(繁體)(Chinese (Traditional))
v. intr. - 不一致, 不同

idioms:

  • differ about    對...意見不同
  • differ from    不同

한국어 (Korean)
v. intr. - 차이가 있다, 말다툼하다, 견해가 다르다

idioms:

  • differ about    ~와 같지 않다
  • differ from    ~와 다르다

日本語 (Japanese)
v. - 違う, 意見を異にする

idioms:

  • differ about    点で意見が合わない
  • differ from    異なる

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(فعل) يختلف‏

עברית (Hebrew)
v. intr. - ‮חלק על, היה שונה‬


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