50 Idioms for Different With Meanings & Sentences
Idioms for Different
1. March to the beat of a different drum
Meaning: To act or think independently.
In a Sentence: Jenna always dresses creatively—she marches to the beat of a different drum.
Other Ways to Say: Do your own thing, Think outside the box.
2. One of a kind
Meaning: Unique; unlike anything else.
In a Sentence: Grandma’s homemade cookies are one of a kind, and everyone loves them.
Other Ways to Say: Unique, Special.
3. Like night and day
Meaning: Completely different from each other.
In a Sentence: The twins may look alike, but their personalities are like night and day.
Other Ways to Say: Worlds apart, As different as chalk and cheese.
4. A far cry from
Meaning: Very different from.
In a Sentence: City life is a far cry from the peaceful countryside.
Other Ways to Say: Nothing like, Poles apart.
5. As different as chalk and cheese
Meaning: Totally different and incomparable.
In a Sentence: My sons are as different as chalk and cheese—one loves sports, the other loves books.
Other Ways to Say: Worlds apart, Complete opposites.
6. Break the mold
Meaning: To do something in a new or unique way.
In a Sentence: Her innovative art really breaks the mold.
Other Ways to Say: Be original, Go against the grain.
7. Stand out from the crowd
Meaning: To be noticeably different.
In a Sentence: His bright red jacket made him stand out from the crowd.
Other Ways to Say: Be distinctive, Be unique.
8. Cut from a different cloth
Meaning: To be very different in character.
In a Sentence: Even though they’re brothers, Tom is cut from a different cloth than Jake.
Other Ways to Say: Unlike, Not alike.
9. Blaze a new trail
Meaning: To do something differently and lead others.
In a Sentence: She blazed a new trail in education with her online classes.
Other Ways to Say: Innovate, Pioneer.
10. Go your own way
Meaning: To act independently or choose a different path.
In a Sentence: Even though her friends went to college, Maya decided to go her own way and start a business.
Other Ways to Say: Take your own path, Do your own thing.
11. A breed apart
Meaning: Distinctly different and exceptional.
In a Sentence: That musician is a breed apart with his one-of-a-kind sound.
Other Ways to Say: Exceptional, Unique.
12. Not cut from the same cloth
Meaning: Not similar in behavior or personality.
In a Sentence: My boss and I are not cut from the same cloth—we have very different work styles.
Other Ways to Say: Very different, Not alike.
13. Fish out of water
Meaning: Someone who feels out of place.
In a Sentence: I felt like a fish out of water at the opera in my jeans.
Other Ways to Say: Misfit, Out of place.
14. In a league of your own
Meaning: Exceptionally different, often in a better way.
In a Sentence: Her writing is so good—it’s in a league of its own.
Other Ways to Say: One of a kind, Standout.
15. Not your average Joe
Meaning: Not ordinary or typical.
In a Sentence: He’s not your average Joe—he can speak ten languages!
Other Ways to Say: Unusual, Extraordinary.
16. Out of the ordinary
Meaning: Unusual or not typical.
In a Sentence: That storm was out of the ordinary for July.
Other Ways to Say: Strange, Uncommon.
17. Off the beaten path
Meaning: Different from the usual or popular ways.
In a Sentence: We explored an off-the-beaten-path village in the mountains.
Other Ways to Say: Unusual, Out of the way.
18. A black sheep
Meaning: Someone who is different, often in a negative way.
In a Sentence: He’s the black sheep of the family because he became an artist instead of a doctor.
Other Ways to Say: Outcast, Misfit.
19. Break the pattern
Meaning: To change the usual way of doing things.
In a Sentence: I decided to break the pattern and take a year off from work.
Other Ways to Say: Do things differently, Change it up.
20. Step out of line
Meaning: To behave differently or not follow the norm.
In a Sentence: She stepped out of line by questioning the tradition.
Other Ways to Say: Defy norms, Be unconventional.
21. Dance to your own tune
Meaning: To live or behave in your own unique way.
In a Sentence: Max always dances to his own tune and doesn’t care what others think.
Other Ways to Say: Be independent, Follow your own path.
22. Against the grain
Meaning: Doing something differently than usual or expected.
In a Sentence: His bright tie went against the grain at the formal event.
Other Ways to Say: Nonconformist, Untraditional.
23. Think outside the box
Meaning: To think in a creative or different way.
In a Sentence: This design really thinks outside the box.
Other Ways to Say: Be original, Innovative.
24. A world of difference
Meaning: A significant contrast.
In a Sentence: There’s a world of difference between fast food and home-cooked meals.
Other Ways to Say: Big gap, Major contrast.
25. Against the tide
Meaning: To go against what most people are doing.
In a Sentence: She invested in crypto before it was popular—she really went against the tide.
Other Ways to Say: Defy the trend, Go your own way.
26. Blaze your own trail
Meaning: To do something in a unique or original way.
In a Sentence: She decided to blaze her own trail instead of following family traditions.
Other Ways to Say: Go your own way, March to your own beat.
27. Stand out like a sore thumb
Meaning: To be obviously different or noticeable in a group.
In a Sentence: His bright pink suit stood out like a sore thumb at the black-tie event.
Other Ways to Say: Be out of place, Be conspicuous.
28. Cut from a different cloth
Meaning: To be very different in behavior or character.
In a Sentence: Unlike his siblings, Mark is cut from a different cloth and prefers solitude.
Other Ways to Say: Unalike, Not typical.
29. A class of one
Meaning: Being exceptionally unique or unmatched.
In a Sentence: When it comes to creativity, she’s truly a class of one.
Other Ways to Say: Incomparable, One of a kind.
30. Out of the ordinary
Meaning: Not typical or expected.
In a Sentence: His behavior was out of the ordinary during the meeting.
Other Ways to Say: Unusual, Unconventional.
31. Not your average Joe
Meaning: Someone who is different or special compared to the typical person.
In a Sentence: He’s not your average Joe—he speaks five languages and builds robots.
Other Ways to Say: Unique, Exceptional.
32. In a world of their own
Meaning: Thinking or behaving differently from everyone else.
In a Sentence: Artists often seem like they live in a world of their own.
Other Ways to Say: Dreamy, Lost in thought.
33. Out in left field
Meaning: Unusual, eccentric, or unexpected.
In a Sentence: His theory about time travel is way out in left field.
Other Ways to Say: Far-fetched, Bizarre.
34. An odd duck
Meaning: A person who is unusual or different in some way.
In a Sentence: He’s an odd duck, but everyone loves his quirky charm.
Other Ways to Say: Eccentric, Quirky.
35. The black sheep
Meaning: Someone who is very different from the rest of the family or group.
In a Sentence: She’s always been the black sheep, choosing art over business.
Other Ways to Say: Outsider, Misfit.
36. Off the beaten path
Meaning: Unconventional or not following the standard route.
In a Sentence: Their ideas are always off the beaten path but brilliant.
Other Ways to Say: Untraditional, Unique.
37. Set apart
Meaning: To distinguish or make someone/something different.
In a Sentence: Her passion for justice set her apart from other lawyers.
Other Ways to Say: Distinguish, Differentiate.
38. A rare breed
Meaning: A person or thing that is very unusual.
In a Sentence: He’s a rare breed—intelligent, humble, and hardworking.
Other Ways to Say: Unique specimen, Uncommon.
39. In a league of their own
Meaning: Much better or very different from others.
In a Sentence: When it comes to design, she’s in a league of her own.
Other Ways to Say: Exceptional, Beyond compare.
40. Against the grain
Meaning: To go against the usual way of thinking or doing.
In a Sentence: His ideas always go against the grain, but they work.
Other Ways to Say: Nonconformist, Unorthodox.
41. Dance to a different beat
Meaning: To act independently or differently from others.
In a Sentence: She always danced to a different beat, even as a child.
Other Ways to Say: March to your own drum, Be original.
42. Break the mold
Meaning: To be different from what is usually done or expected.
In a Sentence: He broke the mold by launching a business at 15.
Other Ways to Say: Be innovative, Defy norms.
43. Go your own way
Meaning: To do what you think is right even if others disagree.
In a Sentence: She chose to go her own way instead of joining the family firm.
Other Ways to Say: Follow your path, Blaze your trail.
44. The road less traveled
Meaning: A path or decision that is not commonly chosen.
In a Sentence: Choosing art school was the road less traveled, but it paid off.
Other Ways to Say: Nontraditional route, Unique choice.
45. Thinking outside the box
Meaning: To think creatively or differently.
In a Sentence: The marketing team won by thinking outside the box.
Other Ways to Say: Be inventive, Use unconventional ideas.
46. Ahead of the curve
Meaning: More advanced or progressive than others.
In a Sentence: His ideas on clean energy are ahead of the curve.
Other Ways to Say: Forward-thinking, Innovative.
47. Color outside the lines
Meaning: To be unconventional or break rules.
In a Sentence: Great artists often color outside the lines.
Other Ways to Say: Be creative, Be rebellious.
48. Buck the trend
Meaning: To go against popular opinion or style.
In a Sentence: She bucked the trend by wearing vintage fashion.
Other Ways to Say: Resist the norm, Go against the flow.
49. Offbeat
Meaning: Unusual or different in an interesting way.
In a Sentence: His offbeat sense of humor made him popular.
Other Ways to Say: Quirky, Eccentric.
50. Do your own thing
Meaning: To act independently without worrying about others.
In a Sentence: She always does her own thing, no matter the trend.
Other Ways to Say: Be independent, Be yourself.
