built different
Able to do things which others cannot; extremely talented or unusual.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“He finished the marathon in record time; he is just built different.”
“My brother is built different and never feels cold, even in the snow.”
“Most people would have given up after that injury, but she returned to the court even stronger because she is built different.”
“You can tell the new chef is built different because he manages the busiest kitchen in the city without ever losing his temper or making a mistake.”
“While everyone else needs a calculator for basic math, she does complex multiplication in her head instantly; she is truly built different.”
“While his peers struggled to grasp the complex theory, he solved the equation in seconds, proving that his analytical mind was simply built different.”
first recorded 21st c.
The term gained popularity in July 2020 through a trend on the video-sharing platform TikTok. It appeared in a series of recordings in which users claimed an ability to perform various improbable tasks, attributing their success to being built different. While the phrasing implies a unique physical or temperamental constitution, the trend was largely a matter of parody.
- 01
build a better mousetrap
To create a new product, method, or idea that is better than an existing version of something already common or widely used.
- 02
build a case
to compile evidence that supports a charge against someone.
- 03
build bridges
Often followed by between or to: to establish friendly relations or links.
- 04
build castles in the air
To have any desire, idea, or plan that is unlikely to be realized; to imagine visionary projects or schemes; to have an idle fancy or a pipe dream; to daydream.
- 05
build character
To improve a person's character by developing personality traits such as resilience or responsibility.
- 06
build on sand
To put something in an unstable position by failing to give it a secure foundation.
- 07
build the plane while flying it
To develop one's approach or strategy to a project while carrying out that project, and not beforehand.
- 08
build up
To accumulate: to increase incrementally or continually.
Last updated August 10, 2026