dis ‧ tinc ‧ tive AC /dɪˈstɪŋktɪv/ BrE AmE adjective
having a special quality, character, or appearance that is different and easy to recognize:
a rock band with a distinctive sound
—distinctively adverb
—distinctiveness noun [uncountable]
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ different if something or someone is different, they are not like something or someone else, or they are not like they were before:
You look different. Have you had your hair cut?
|
We’ve painted the door a different colour.
|
The cultures of the two countries are very different.
▪ unique very different, special, or unusual and the only one of its kind. Don’t use words such as very before unique :
The book is certainly very rare, and possibly unique.
|
the unique wildlife of the Galapagos Islands
▪ distinctive having a special feature or appearance that makes something different from other things, and makes it easy to recognize:
Male birds have distinctive blue and yellow markings.
▪ unlike [prep] completely different from a particular person or thing:
In Britain, unlike the United States, the government provides health care.
▪ have nothing in common if two people have nothing in common, they do not have the same interests or opinions and therefore cannot form a friendly relationship:
Apart from the fact that we went to the same school, we have absolutely nothing in common.
▪ there’s no/little resemblance used when saying that two people or things seem very different:
There’s no resemblance between the two sisters at all.
|
The final product bore no resemblance to the original proposal (=it was very different) .
▪ dissimilar formal not the same as something else:
These four politically dissimilar states have all signed a treaty of friendship and cooperation.
▪ be like chalk and cheese British English informal if two people are like chalk and cheese, they are completely different:
It’s hard to believe that they’re brothers – they’re like chalk and cheese!
▪ be (like) apples and oranges American English informal used when saying that two people or things are very different:
You can't compare residential and commercial real estate markets. It's apples and oranges.
|
Obama and Romney are apples and oranges.
|
Comparing homemade soup to canned soup is really comparing apples and oranges.