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different

Modifiers: any different, etc​

Different is a little like a comparative: unlike most adjectives, it can be modified by any and no, (a) little and not much.

  • I hadn’t seen her for years, but she wasn’t any different.
  • ‘How’s the patient, doctor?’ ‘No different.’
  • His ideas are little different from those of his friends.
  • The new school isn’t much different from the old one.

Quite different means ‘completely different’ (see here).

  • I thought you’d be like your sister, but you’re quite different.

Unlike comparatives, different can also be modified by very.

  • She’s very different from her sister.

Prepositions: different from/to​

From is generally used after different; many British people also use to. In American English, than is common.

  • American football is very different from/to soccer. (AmE … different from/than soccer.)

Before a clause, different than is also possible in British English.

  • The job’s different than I expected. (or … different from/to what I expected.)

For the difference between different and other, (see here).