(Un)Important

In English, there are many different ways to emphasize that something is or isn’t important. A basic way is to use the verb matter, especially in negative sentences and in questions:

• He’s very ambitious. Being successful really matters to him.
• Sorry, I’ve used up all your coffee. – It doesn’t matter. We can buy some more.
• Does it matter what time we get to the meeting?

You can also use the phrase no matter..., followed by what, where, how, etc.:

• No matter what I say to him, he seems to find it annoying. (= It doesn’t matter what I say...)

To emphasize that something is very important, you can use the adjectives crucial, vital or key:

• It’s absolutely crucial that we send the e-mail off today.
• It would be nice to win the contract, but it isn’t vital to the company’s survival.
• Leonard Cohen was a key figure in 1970s music. (= He played an important role.)

You can also combine these with the words important or importance:

• It’s crucially important that I pass the exam, otherwise, I won’t get a place in college.
• What was discussed at the meeting? – Nothing of vital importance.

Or you can say that something is critical or critically important:

• Getting this job is absolutely critical. (= I think my future career depends on it.)
• An experience can be life-changing:
• Working with refugees was a life-changing experience for me.

And an event or a piece of news could be earth-shattering (= It changes the world.):

• The news that they are getting married wasn’t exactly earth-shattering. We all expected it.