ENGLISH
REFERENCE

differed

v.
B1 Intermediate US //ˈdɪfɝd// UK //dˈɪfəd// dif·fered

v. to be different from something else in some way. You use this when comparing two things that are not the same.

v. to be unlike or distinct in nature, form, or quality. Intransitive; typically followed by a prepositional phrase to indicate the point of comparison.


SIMPLE

The two brothers differed in their opinions on the movie.

CONTEXTUAL

The results of the second experiment differed significantly from the initial findings due to a change in temperature.

COMPLEX

While the two political parties agreed on the necessity of reform, they differed sharply on the specific mechanisms required to implement those changes effectively.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Usage

Intransitive verb; commonly takes the preposition 'from' when comparing entities or 'in' when specifying the attribute of difference.

Pitfall

The results differed than the first testThe results differed from the first testDiffered is typically followed by 'from' rather than 'than' or 'to' when making a comparison.

© 2026 English Reference