make a difference

make a difference — idiom

1. used when a change, event, or action makes a situation clearly better than it wa

1.慣用語B1
釋義

used when a change, event, or action makes a situation clearly better than it was before.

例句

The new recycling programme made a real difference to the waste our town produces.

make a difference to [something]

A short walk after lunch made a big difference to Brian's energy levels.

make a difference to [energy / focus / health]

同義詞
反義詞

常見錯誤

❌The new policy made a difference on our results.
✅The new policy made a difference to our results.
💡The correct preposition is 'to' (or 'in'), not 'on'.
❌She wanted to make the difference in her community.
✅She wanted to make a difference in her community.
💡The phrase uses the indefinite article 'a', not 'the'.

2. to improve someone's life by giving your time, help, or personal attention — use

2.慣用語B1
釋義

to improve someone's life by giving your time, help, or personal attention — used when one person's effort or care directly benefits others.

例句

Léa became a nurse because she wanted to make a difference in people's lives.

Arjun's coach told him every player can make a difference by trying their best.

同義詞
  • contribute

    emphasises giving something (time, effort, money) to a cause

  • have an impact

    slightly more formal; can be positive or negative without context

  • help others

    plainer and more literal

反義詞

常見錯誤

❌He wanted to make difference in the world.
✅He wanted to make a difference in the world.
💡The article 'a' is required before 'difference'.
❌Small acts of kindness can make differences.
✅Small acts of kindness can make a difference.
💡The phrase is normally used in the singular, not plural.