differ
Definitions
To be unlike or distinct in nature, form, or quality.
不同；相异
To disagree with someone, especially in a respectful way.
持不同意见；不同意
Root Breakdown
Root-deriveddif- (a form of dis-, «apart») + fer (carry) = 'to carry apart.' Differing things are borne in different directions — their qualities head separately. The disagreement sense («I beg to differ») is the metaphorical version: opinions diverging.
Root fer still carries 93 more wordsWhy It Means This
Differ is the quiet workhorse of the fer family. The image — two things being «carried apart» — captures abstract difference elegantly: when properties point in different directions, the things differ. From this central verb come some of English's most common words: difference, different, differential, indifference. The «disagree» sense is more formal («I respectfully differ») and often appears in academic writing or polite debate, where «I beg to differ» softens a contradiction.
Common Collocations
- 1.differ from与……不同
- 2.differ in在……方面不同
- 3.differ greatly差异巨大
- 4.agree to differ保留分歧
- 5.beg to differ容我反对
Example Sentences
- 1.
British and American spelling sometimes differ.
- 2.
Their views on the matter differ greatly.
- 3.
I beg to differ on that point.