matter

 Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++朗文当代英语 5++LDOCE 5++朗文 5++mat·ter1 /ˈmætə $ -ər/ ●●● S1 W1 noun  1  SUBJECT/SITUATION 事情/情况 [countable]SUBJECT a subject or situation that you have to think about or deal with 〔必须考虑或处理的〕事情，问题 There are important matters we need to discuss. 我们有更重要的事情需要讨论。matter for The legal arrangements for the sale are a matter for negotiation. 这笔买卖在法律上的安排需要经过谈判商定。 RegisterMatter is used especially in formal or official contexts. In everyday English, people usually use subject, or just say it: matter尤用于正式或官方文体中。在日常英语中，人们一般说subject，或只说it I’ve talked to him about the matter. → I’ve talked to him about it. 这事我已经跟他谈过了。2  matters [plural]SITUATION a situation that you are in or have been describing 〔正在面临或谈到的〕事情，情况，事态 Maybe some of these suggestions will help to improve matters. 也许这其中的有些建议会让情况好起来。 Matters can be more easily sorted out once you get to the resort. 你到了度假胜地之后，事情就好办了。 His long absences didn’t help matters (=made the situation worse). 他长期缺席使事情变得更糟了。to make matters worse (=used to say that something makes a bad situation worse) 使情况更糟的是 The team has lost the last two games and, to make matters worse, two of its best players are injured. 球队输了最近的两场比赛，雪上加霜的是，两个最优秀的队员受伤了。to complicate matters further (=used to say that something makes a complicated situation more complicated) 使情况更复杂的是 To complicate matters further, the law on this issue has been changed. 使情况更复杂的是，关于这个问题的法规也改变了。3  MATERIAL 物质 [uncountable] a) HPSUBSTANCEthe material that everything in the universe is made of, including solids, liquids, and gases 〔构成宇宙万物的〕物质 particles of matter 物质的微粒 b) waste/solid/organic/vegetable etc matterSUBSTANCE a substance that consists of waste material, solid material etc 废弃物/固体物质/有机物质/植物性物质等 c) MIa yellow or white substance in wounds or next to your eye 〔伤口里的〕脓；眼屎4  as a matter of fact spoken used when adding more details about what you have just said 事实上，其实 ‘Have you had many visitors yet?’ ‘No, as a matter of fact you’re the first.’ “到了很多客人吗？”“没有，事实上你是第一个。” I knew him when we were in college – as a matter of fact we were on the same course. 我们在大学的时候我就认识他——事实上我们一起上过课。事实上我们一起上过课。 → matter-of-fact5  what’s the matter?/something’s the matter/nothing’s the matter etc spoken used to ask or talk about why someone seems worried, unhappy, or ill, why something about a situation seems wrong, or why a machine seems not to be working properly 怎么了？/有点问题/没什么问题等 What’s the matter? You look as though you’ve been crying. 怎么了？你看上去好像哭过。 ‘Is something the matter?’ ‘Just a headache – I’ll be fine in a minute.’ “怎么了？”“只是头疼——一会儿就好了。” You look worried. Is there anything the matter? 你看上去有心事，出什么事了吗？ What’s the matter with Bill? 比尔怎么了？ What’s the matter with your eye? It looks red. 你眼睛怎么了？看上去红红的。 I know something’s the matter. You’re frightened of something. 我知道有点问题，你在害怕什么事情。 Nothing’s the matter, honestly, I’m fine. 没事，真的，我很好。 There was nothing the matter with it (=it was all right) when I lent it to him. 我把它借给他时还好好的。 She had something the matter with her back. 她的后背有点毛病。6  the truth/fact of the matter is (that) spoken used when saying what you think is really true concerning a situation 事实/事情真相是 The truth of the matter is that we don’t know exactly how the disease is spread. 实际情况是，我们不了解这种疾病究竟是怎么传播的。7  for that matter ADDused to say that what you are saying about one thing is also true about something else 对…同样如此 Ben never touched beer, or any kind of alcohol for that matter. 本从来不碰啤酒，也不喝其他什么酒。 He’s an artist who has never been as well-known here, or for that matter as well-respected, as he has been in the USA. 作为一名艺术家，他在这里从未像他在美国那样出名，也不像在美国那样受人尊敬。8  be (quite) a different matter  (also be (quite) another matter) especially British EnglishSERIOUS SITUATION used to say that a situation or action is very different from the one you have just mentioned, and may not be as easy, pleasant etc 不是一回事，完全是另一码事 She didn’t mind seeing him in a group but an intimate dinner in a restaurant was another matter altogether. 大家在一起见见他，她并不介意，但是在饭店里亲密进餐就另当别论了。9  take matters into your own hands DO something/TAKE ACTIONto deal with a problem yourself because other people have failed to deal with it 〔因别人不能处理而〕把事情接过来亲自处理 Local people took matters into their own hands and hired their own security guards. 当地人自己动手来解决问题，雇用了他们自己的保安人员。10  it’s only/just a matter of time CERTAINLY/DEFINITELYused to say that something will definitely happen in the future 只是时间问题〔用于说明某事必定会发生〕 It can only be a matter of time before someone is seriously injured. 有人受重伤只是时间早晚的问题。11  a matter of life and/or death IMPORTANTa situation that is extremely serious or important, especially one in which someone could die 关乎生死的问题 The delay in the arrival of the ambulance could be a matter of life and death. 救护车服务的质量是关乎生死的问题。 Can’t it wait? It’s hardly a matter of life or death, is it? 就不能等等吗？这又不是生死攸关的事，对吧？12  be a matter of opinion used to say that people have different opinions about something, especially when you yourself have a negative opinion 是看法问题〔尤用于持反对意见〕 Whether or not he is any good as a manager is a matter of opinion. 他是不是好经理，这是看法问题。13  be a matter of (personal) taste/choice/preference used to say that different people like different things 是个人口味/选择/喜好的问题 I can’t say which wine is best – it’s a matter of personal taste. 我无法说哪种酒最好——这是个人口味的问题。14  be a matter of principle to be something that you feel you must or must not do, because of your moral principles 是原则问题 She couldn’t take the money. It was a matter of principle. 她不能拿这笔钱，这是原则问题。15  be a matter of doing something DEPEND ON/RELY ONused to say that an action involves doing something 是做某事的问题be simply/largely/merely etc a matter of doing something Reducing the number of road deaths is not simply a matter of improving roads. 减少交通事故的死亡数字不单是改善道路状况的问题。16  a matter of seconds/weeks/hours etc SMALLonly a few seconds, weeks etc 仅仅数秒/几周/几个小时等 The ambulance arrived in a matter of minutes. 救护车几分钟内就到了。 The bullet missed his head by a matter of inches. 子弹只差几英寸就击中他的头部。17  as a matter of something because of a particular belief or quality 出于某方面的考虑 He invited her as a matter of courtesy. 出于礼貌，他邀请了她。 As a matter of fairness, he should be allowed to give his version of events. 为了公正起见，应该让他也来说说事情的原委。18  as a matter of interest British English spokenNEED used when you ask or tell someone something that interests you but is not important 出于兴趣，只是好奇 Just as a matter of interest, which school did you go to? 你上的是哪所学校？我只是随便问问。19  as a matter of urgency if something is done or should be done as a matter of urgency, it is done or should be done very soon 作为紧急之事〔来处理〕 That procedure should be streamlined as a matter of urgency. 那个程序应当简化，这是当务之急。20  as a matter of course/routine USUALLYif something is done as a matter of course or routine, it is the correct and usual thing to do in a particular situation 作为理所当然的事/按常规 We will contact your former employer as a matter of course. 我们将按常规和你以前的雇主联系。21  no matter how/whether/what etc  (also no matter the ...)SAME used to say that something is true or that something happens whatever the situation is 不管怎样/是否/什么等 Feeding a baby is a messy job no matter how careful you are. 给婴儿喂食，无论你怎么仔细，还是会弄得乱糟糟的。 I’m determined to visit Japan no matter what it costs. 无论花多少钱，我坚决要去日本看看。 He visited her every day no matter the weather. 无论天气如何，他每天都去看她。22  no matter what spokenCERTAINLY/DEFINITELY used to say that you will definitely do something 不管（发生）什么事；无论如何 I’ll call you tonight, no matter what. 我今晚无论如何都会给你打电话。23  no matter spoken formal or old-fashionedUNIMPORTANT used to say that something is not important and will not affect a situation 不要紧，没关系 ‘I’m afraid I forgot to bring a towel.’ ‘No matter, I’ve got one you can borrow.’ “不好意思，我忘记带毛巾了。”“不要紧，我有一条可以借给你用。”24  it’s a matter of fact (that) used to say that something is a fact （…）是事实 It’s a matter of fact that the team have not performed as well this season. 这个赛季球队表现不好，这是事实。25  the little/small matter of something spokenREMIND/MAKE somebody REMEMBER something that is not important or not difficult – used when you really think something is important or difficult 某事这一小事〔当你认为某事重要或难办时所说的反语〕 He seemed unworried by the small matter of the war that was in progress. 战争还在进行，可他好像对这种小事毫不担心。 There’s the small matter of tonight’s game if we are to reach the finals. 我们若要进入决赛，还有今晚这场小小的比赛。26  no matter that UNIMPORTANTused to say that something is not important and will not affect a situation 即便，即使 I would always be an outsider here – no matter that I spoke fluent Spanish. 我在这里总是一个外人——即便我的西班牙语说得很流利。27  reading/printed etc matter TCNthings that are written for people to read 阅读材料/印刷品等 As well as textbooks and other printed matter, courses may include video and audio cassettes. 除了教科书和其他印刷品，课程中还可能会使用视听盒带。 → grey matter, subject matter, → not mince matters at mince1(3), → mind over matter at mind1(43) COLLOCATIONSadjectivesa serious/important matter 严重的/重要的事情It is a very serious matter to mislead the police. 误导警方是很严重的事。an urgent matter (=something that needs to be dealt with quickly) 紧急的事情a weighty matter (=an important matter) 重大的事情I was surprised that this weighty matter was decided so quickly. 我感到吃惊，这件重要的事竟然这么快就决定了。a small/trivial matter (=a matter that is not important) 小事/微不足道的事Walking out over such a small matter may seem ridiculous. 为这么件小事就退席也许显得挺可笑。a simple/easy matter (=something that is easy to do) 简单的/容易的事Putting together the bookcases is a fairly simple matter. 组装书柜是件很容易的事。a personal/private matter 私事We never spoke about personal matters. 我们从来不谈私事。a financial/legal/religious etc matter 财务/法律/宗教等事宜nThis is a legal matter and should be discussed with a solicitor.a practical matter 实际问题nHe wrote to him several times about practical matters to do with the house.verbsdiscuss the matter 讨论事情She refused to discuss the matter. 她拒绝讨论此事。raise the matter (with somebody) (=discuss something with someone) （向某人）提出事情If you need further training, raise the matter with your manager. 如果需要进一步培训，请向经理提出。consider the matter (=think about something) 考虑事情settle/resolve the matter (=decide something) 决定事情nThey are meeting tonight to settle the matter.pursue the matter (=keep discussing or asking about something) 追究事情nShe decided not to pursue the matter, as it obviously upset him.investigate the matter (=try to find out the truth about something) 调查事情The police said they were investigating the matter. 警方称正在调查此事。let the matter rest/drop (=stop discussing or worrying about something) 不再操心某事I was too curious to let the matter drop. 我太好奇了，不能不管这件事。phrasesa matter of importance (=something important) 重要的事He consulted her on all matters of importance. 所有大事他都同她商量。a matter of concern (=something that concerns people) 人们关注的事Safety standards in the industry have become a matter of concern. 该行业的安全标准已成为大家关注的问题。a matter for debate/negotiation/discussion (=something to be debated/negotiated etc) （需要）争论/磋商/讨论的事How to solve the housing crisis is a matter for debate. 如何解决住房危机是大家争论的问题。na matter for speculation/conjecture (=something people discuss and wonder about)His future had become a matter for speculation.be a matter for somebody (to decide) (=be something that a particular person should decide) 是某人（来决定）的事This is a matter for the judge. 这是法官的事情。the matter at hand (also the matter in hand British English) (=the thing you are dealing with now) 手头的事情Do not let yourself be distracted from the matter in hand. 不要让自己从手头的事情上分心。be no laughing matter (=be something serious and important, though it might seem funny) 不是开玩笑的事nA doctor’s bad handwriting is no laughing matter, because it can lead to errors.the heart/crux of the matter (=the most important part of something) 问题的核心/症结nThe crux of the matter is: how do we prevent these floods from happening again?matters arising from/out of something (=things connected with or caused by a particular event) 由某事引起的事nAre there any matters arising from the report which you wish to discuss?

Examples from the Corpus

matter• Lovelock's own position on the continuum has been a matter of great interest.• Rick wasn't particularly interested in financial matters.• A foggy reading of foggy matter.• His maudlin drunkenness was not helping matters.• Nobody ever treats me right, no matter how hard I try.• No matter how it worked, the idea raises ethical concerns for the medical profession, two physician-legislators said.• They are investigating an area of space that contains more than the usual amount of matter.• the forces exerted between particles of matter• Foreign affairs were not the only matters we discussed.• This meeting is being held to deal with the serious matter of possible racism in our hiring practices.• We should discuss the matter ourselves.• The first item on the agenda today is the matter of public transportation.• The matter is being argued and discussed in families up and down the country.• These matters can be tackled in the laboratory. 2 Contamination during or after sampling.• I appeal to you, Mr. Speaker, to allow us to have a debate on this matter today.• I agree with the hon. Gentleman on this matter.• In order to decompose, all vegetable matter needs supplies of nitrogen.• Dietary fibre makes waste matter from the food we eat pass through our bodies quickly.matter2 ●●● S1 W3 verb  1  IMPORTANT[intransitive not in progressive] to be important, especially to be important to you, or to have an effect on what happens 〔尤指对某人自己或对发生之事〕重要，要紧，有关系it doesn’t etc matter if Will it matter if I’m a little late? 我晚来一会儿不要紧吧？ If I have to stay late at work tonight, it won’t matter because we can go out another night. 如果今晚我必须工作到很晚的话，那也没关系，我们可以改天晚上再出去。it doesn’t etc matter who/why/what etc It doesn’t matter what you wear, as long as you look neat and tidy. 穿什么无所谓，只要看上去干净整洁就行。 Does it matter what I think? 我怎么想重要吗？it doesn’t etc matter that It does not matter that the gun was in fact unloaded. 枪里其实没子弹，但这并不重要。 Do you think it matters that the cups and saucers don’t match? 你觉得茶杯与杯托不相配要紧吗？it doesn’t matter about something Just give me $5 – it doesn’t matter about the rest. 给我五美元就行——其余的无所谓。matter to He had lost many of the people who mattered to him. 他失去了许多对他很重要的人。matter a lot/a great deal It mattered a great deal to her what other people thought of her. 别人怎么看她对她来说非常重要。not matter much/matter little I don’t think it matters much what you study. 我认为你学什么不是很重要。 campaigning on issues that really matter 以重大问题为竞选议题all that matters/the only thing that matters All that matters is that you are safe. 最要紧的是你平安无事。 Money was the only thing which mattered to him. 对他来说，钱是唯一重要的东西。 I don’t care what it looks like – what matters is that it works. 我不在乎外观——要紧的是它要管用。 At last she was with the man she loved and nothing else mattered. 最终她和她所爱的男人在一起了，其他都无关紧要。 She said very little during the meal. Not that it mattered (=it was not important). 她吃饭时话很少，那倒无所谓。2  it doesn’t matter spoken a) WORRIEDused to tell someone that you are not angry or upset about something, especially something that they have done 没关系〔尤指对他人所做之事表示并不生气或介意〕 ‘I’ve spilled some coffee on the carpet.’ ‘It doesn’t matter.’ “我把咖啡溅到地毯上了。”“没关系。” b) DON'T CAREused to say that you do not mind which one of two things you have 无所谓〔用于表示选哪个都行〕 ‘Red or white wine?’ ‘Oh, either. It doesn’t matter.’ “红葡萄酒还是白葡萄酒？”“噢，都行，无所谓。”3  what does it matter? spokenUNIMPORTANT used to say that something is not important 这有什么关系呢？〔表示某事不很重要〕 It all happened so long ago now, what does it matter? 这都是很久以前的事了，还有什么关系呢？ What does it matter how old I am? 我年纪多大有什么关系？→ See Verb table

Examples from the Corpus

matter• None of the muddle in her room mattered.• They both said it didn't matter.• Does it matter if I bring my own car?• Why did the place matter so much?• Welcome to the sorry state of the apology, when regrets seem to come most readily when they matter the least.• Moreover, the only properties he would allow to matter were ones that could be dealt with by the science of mathematics.• It matters what you wear to an evening of live theater.Not that it mattered• Honest. Not that it mattered.• It was certainly feasible under Jamel Mobuto's new liberal leadership. Not that it mattered.• Perhaps she would believe how important his job was. Not that it mattered.• She contributed very little to the conversation as they ate their meal. Not that it mattered.• The light was directly above him now, increasing in intensity and hurting his eyes. Not that it mattered.Origin matter1 (1100-1200) Old French matere, from Latin materia “matter, substance”, from mater “mother”

mat·ter1 noun →10-19 →20-27
→REGISTER1 →COLLOCATIONS1matter2 verbLDOCE OnlineChineseSyllable  

subject situation you or have Corpus about that to a think

matter

I

mat‧ter¹ S1 W1 /ˈmætə $ -ər/ noun1.  SUBJECT/SITUATION  [countable] a subject or situation that you have to think about or deal with:
    There are important matters we need to discuss.
    matter for
    The legal arrangements for the sale are a matter for negotiation.
  REGISTER
    Matter is used especially in formal or official contexts. In everyday English, people usually use subject, or just say it:
   ▪ I’ve talked to him about the matter. ➔ I’ve talked to him about it.
2. matters [plural] a situation that you are in or have been describing:
    Maybe some of these suggestions will help to improve matters.
    Matters can be more easily sorted out once you get to the resort.
    His long absences didn’t help matters (=made the situation worse).
    to make matters worse (=used to say that something makes a bad situation worse)
    The team has lost the last two games and, to make matters worse, two of its best players are injured.
    to complicate matters further (=used to say that something makes a complicated situation more complicated)
    To complicate matters further, the law on this issue has been changed.
3.  MATERIAL  [uncountable]
  a. the material that everything in the universe is made of, including solids, liquids, and gases:
    particles of matter
  b. waste/solid/organic/vegetable etc matter a substance that consists of waste material, solid material etc
  c. a yellow or white substance in wounds or next to your eye
4. as a matter of fact spoken used when adding more details about what you have just said:
    ‘Have you had many visitors yet?’ ‘No, as a matter of fact you’re the first.’
    I knew him when we were in college – as a matter of fact we were on the same course. ⇨ matter-of-fact
5. what’s the matter?/something’s the matter/nothing’s the matter etc spoken used to ask or talk about why someone seems worried, unhappy, or ill, why something about a situation seems wrong, or why a machine seems not to be working properly:
    What’s the matter? You look as though you’ve been crying.
    ‘Is something the matter?’ ‘Just a headache – I’ll be fine in a minute.’
    You look worried. Is there anything the matter?
    What’s the matter with Bill?
    What’s the matter with your eye? It looks red.
    I know something’s the matter. You’re frightened of something.
    Nothing’s the matter, honestly, I’m fine.
    There was nothing the matter with it (=it was all right) when I lent it to him.
    She had something the matter with her back.
6. the truth/fact of the matter is (that) spoken used when saying what you think is really true concerning a situation:
    The truth of the matter is that we don’t know exactly how the disease is spread.
7. for that matter used to say that what you are saying about one thing is also true about something else:
    Ben never touched beer, or any kind of alcohol for that matter.
    He’s an artist who has never been as well-known here, or for that matter as well-respected, as he has been in the USA.
8. be (quite) a different matter (also be (quite) another matter) especially British English used to say that a situation or action is very different from the one you have just mentioned, and may not be as easy, pleasant etc:
    She didn’t mind seeing him in a group but an intimate dinner in a restaurant was another matter altogether.
9. take matters into your own hands to deal with a problem yourself because other people have failed to deal with it:
    Local people took matters into their own hands and hired their own security guards.
10. it’s only/just a matter of time used to say that something will definitely happen in the future:
    It can only be a matter of time before someone is seriously injured.
11. a matter of life and/or death a situation that is extremely serious or important, especially one in which someone could die:
    The quality of the ambulance service is a matter of life and death.
    Can’t it wait? It’s hardly a matter of life or death, is it?
12. be a matter of opinion used to say that people have different opinions about something, especially when you yourself have a negative opinion:
    Whether or not he is any good as a manager is a matter of opinion.
13. be a matter of (personal) taste/choice/preference used to say that different people like different things:
    I can’t say which wine is best – it’s a matter of personal taste.
14. be a matter of principle to be something that you feel you must or must not do, because of your moral principles:
    She couldn’t take the money. It was a matter of principle.
15. be a matter of doing something used to say that an action involves doing something
    be simply/largely/merely etc a matter of doing something
    Reducing the number of road deaths is not simply a matter of improving roads.
16. a matter of seconds/weeks/hours etc only a few seconds, weeks etc:
    The ambulance arrived in a matter of minutes.
    The bullet missed his head by a matter of inches.
17. as a matter of something because of a particular belief or quality:
    He invited her as a matter of courtesy.
    As a matter of fairness, he should be allowed to give his version of events.
18. as a matter of interest British English spoken used when you ask or tell someone something that interests you but is not important:
    Just as a matter of interest, which school did you go to?
19. as a matter of urgency if something is done or should be done as a matter of urgency, it is done or should be done very soon:
    That procedure should be streamlined as a matter of urgency.
20. as a matter of course/routine if something is done as a matter of course or routine, it is the correct and usual thing to do in a particular situation:
    We will contact your former employer as a matter of course.
21. no matter how/whether/what etc (also no matter the ...) used to say that something is true or that something happens whatever the situation is:
    Feeding a baby is a messy job no matter how careful you are.
    I’m determined to visit Japan no matter what it costs.
    He visited her every day no matter the weather.
22. no matter what spoken used to say that you will definitely do something:
    I’ll call you tonight, no matter what.
23. no matter spoken formal or old-fashioned used to say that something is not important and will not affect a situation:
    ‘I’m afraid I forgot to bring a towel.’ ‘No matter, I’ve got one you can borrow.’
24. it’s a matter of fact (that) used to say that something is a fact:
    It’s a matter of fact that the team have not performed as well this season.
25. the little/small matter of something spoken something that is not important or not difficult – used when you really think something is important or difficult:
    He seemed unworried by the small matter of the war that was in progress.
    There’s the small matter of tonight’s game if we are to reach the finals.
26. no matter that used to say that something is not important and will not affect a situation:
    I would always be an outsider here – no matter that I spoke fluent Spanish.
27. reading/printed etc matter things that are written for people to read:
    As well as textbooks and other printed matter, courses may include video and audio cassettes.
⇨ grey matter, subject matter, ⇨ not mince matters at mince¹(3), ⇨ mind over matter at mind¹(43)
     

COLLOCATIONS

■ adjectives
   ▪ a serious/important matter It is a very serious matter to mislead the police.
   ▪ an urgent matter (=something that needs to be dealt with quickly)
   ▪ a weighty matter (=an important matter) I was surprised that this weighty matter was decided so quickly.
   ▪ a small/trivial matter (=a matter that is not important) Walking out over such a small matter may seem ridiculous.
   ▪ a simple/easy matter (=something that is easy to do) Putting together the bookcases is a fairly simple matter.
   ▪ a personal/private matter We never spoke about personal matters.
   ▪ a financial/legal/religious etc matter This is a legal matter and should be discussed with a solicitor.
   ▪ a practical matter He wrote to him several times about practical matters to do with the house.
■ verbs
   ▪ discuss the matter She refused to discuss the matter.
   ▪ raise the matter (with somebody) (=discuss something with someone) If you need further training, raise the matter with your manager.
   ▪ consider the matter (=think about something)
   ▪ settle/resolve the matter (=decide something) They are meeting tonight to settle the matter.
   ▪ pursue the matter (=keep discussing or asking about something) She decided not to pursue the matter, as it obviously upset him.
   ▪ investigate the matter (=try to find out the truth about something) The police said they were investigating the matter.
   ▪ let the matter rest/drop (=stop discussing or worrying about something) I was too curious to let the matter drop.
■ phrases
   ▪ a matter of importance (=something important) He consulted her on all matters of importance.
   ▪ a matter of concern (=something that concerns people) Safety standards in the industry have become a matter of concern.
   ▪ a matter for debate/negotiation/discussion (=something to be debated/negotiated etc) How to solve the housing crisis is a matter for debate.
   ▪ a matter for speculation/conjecture (=something people discuss and wonder about) His future had become a matter for speculation.
   ▪ be a matter for somebody (to decide) (=be something that a particular person should decide) This is a matter for the judge.
   ▪ the matter at hand (also the matter in hand British English) (=the thing you are dealing with now) Do not let yourself be distracted from the matter in hand.
   ▪ be no laughing matter (=be something serious and important, though it might seem funny) A doctor’s bad handwriting is no laughing matter, because it can lead to errors.
   ▪ the heart/crux of the matter (=the most important part of something) The crux of the matter is: how do we prevent these floods from happening again?
   ▪ matters arising from/out of something (=things connected with or caused by a particular event) Are there any matters arising from the report which you wish to discuss?
     

THESAURUS

■ a solid or liquid substance
   ▪ material noun [uncountable and countable] a substance, especially one that can be used for making things: building materials | The island has to import oil and other raw materials (=materials used for making things). | radioactive material
   ▪ substance noun [countable] a type of material such as a chemical or a mineral: The green colour of the leaf is due to a substance called chlorophyll. | Dioxin is one of the most toxic substances known to man.
   ▪ matter noun [uncountable] formal a type of substance – used especially in the following phrases: waste matter from the body | It is important to add plenty of organic matter to the soil. | People throw away lots of vegetable matter.
   ▪ stuff noun [uncountable] informal a substance - used especially when you do not know exactly what it is: What’s that sticky stuff on the floor?

II

matter² S1 W3 verb
1. [intransitive not in progressive] to be important, especially to be important to you, or to have an effect on what happens
    it doesn’t etc matter if
    Will it matter if I’m a little late?
    If I have to stay late at work tonight, it won’t matter because we can go out another night.
    it doesn’t etc matter who/why/what etc
    It doesn’t matter what you wear, as long as you look neat and tidy.
    Does it matter what I think?
    it doesn’t etc matter that
    It does not matter that the gun was in fact unloaded.
    Do you think it matters that the cups and saucers don’t match?
    it doesn’t matter about something
    Just give me $5 – it doesn’t matter about the rest.
    matter to
    He had lost many of the people who mattered to him.
    matter a lot/a great deal
    It mattered a great deal to her what other people thought of her.
    not matter much/matter little
    I don’t think it matters much what you study.
    campaigning on issues that really matter
    all that matters/the only thing that matters
    All that matters is that you’re safe.
    Money was the only thing that mattered to him.
    I don’t care what it looks like – what matters is that it works.
    At last she was with the man she loved and nothing else mattered.
    She said very little during the meal. Not that it mattered (=it was not important).
2. it doesn’t matter spoken
  a. used to tell someone that you are not angry or upset about something, especially something that they have done:
    ‘I’ve spilled some coffee on the carpet.’ ‘It doesn’t matter.’
  b. used to say that you do not mind which one of two things you have:
    ‘Red or white wine?’ ‘Oh, either. It doesn’t matter.’
3. what does it matter? spoken used to say that something is not important:
    It all happened so long ago now, what does it matter?
    What does it matter how old I am?