compare
[verb]
Synonyms:
- weigh, balance, contrast, juxtapose, set against
- usually with with: be on a par with, approach, bear comparison, be in the same class as, be the equal of, compete with, equal, hold a candle to, match
- compare to: liken to, correlate to, equate to, identify with, mention in the same breath as, parallel, resemble

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Related Words: approach, equal, match, rival, touch, examine, inspect, observe, scan, scrutinize, size (up), consider, contemplate, ponder, study, weigh

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English Thesaurus: compare, make/draw a comparison, draw an analogy, draw a parallel, contrast, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. com‧pare¹ S1 W1 /kəmˈpeə $ -ˈper/ verb
[Word Family: noun: comparison, comparability, the comparative; adverb: comparatively, comparably; adjective: comparable ≠ incomparable, comparative; verb: compare]
[Date: 1400-1500; Language: French; Origin: comparer, from Latin comparare, from compar 'like', from com- ( ⇒ COM-) + par 'equal']

1. [transitive] to consider two or more things or people, in order to show how they are similar or different ⇒ comparison:
The report compares the different types of home computer available.
compare something/somebody with something/somebody
The police compared the suspect’s fingerprints with those found at the crime scene.
compare something/somebody to something/somebody
Davies’ style of writing has been compared to Dickens’.
compare and contrast (=an expression used when telling students to write about the things that are similar or different in works of literature or art)
Compare and contrast the main characters of these two novels.

2. compared to/with something used when considering the size, quality, or amount of something in relation to something similar:
a 20% reduction in burglary compared with last year
Compared to our small flat, Bill’s house seemed like a palace.

3. [intransitive] to be better or worse than something else
compare (favourably/unfavourably) with something
The quality of English wines can now compare with wines from Germany.
How does life in Britain compare with life in the States?
The imported fabric is 30% cheaper and compares favourably (=is as good) in quality.

4. something doesn’t/can’t compare (with something) if something does not compare with something else, it is not as good, large etc:
The rides at the fair just can’t compare with the rides at Disneyland.

5. compare notes (with somebody) informal to talk to someone in order to find out if their experience of something is the same as yours:
Leading scientists got together in Paris to compare notes on current research.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. compare² noun
beyond/without compare literary a quality that is beyond compare is the best of its kind:
a beauty and an elegance beyond compare

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

compare
verb
ADV. favourably, well The city compares favourably with other parts of Brazil.
unfavourably
VERB + COMPARE cannot, do not These mountains do not compare with (= are not nearly as high, impressive, etc. as) the Himalayas.
PREP. with Few things compare with (= are as good as) the joy of cycling on a bright, sunny spring morning.
PHRASES be nothing compared to sb/sth I've had some difficulties but they were nothing compared to yours (= they were not nearly as bad as yours).

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

compare
verb
BAD: The teachers will be able to visit our schools and compare our teaching methods to their own.
GOOD: The teachers will be able to visit our schools and compare our teaching methods with their own.

Usage Note:
compare to = describe (someone or something) as being similar to (someone or something else); liken: 'She compared the child to a noisy monkey.'
compare with = examine two or more people/things/ideas etc to discover similarities and/or differences: 'Having compared the new dictionary with the old one, she found the new one more helpful.'

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Common Errors ▲

compare to consider two or more things or people, in order to show how they are similar or different:
Scientists compared the results of both experiments.
The woman’s body was identified by comparing her teeth with dental records.
make/draw a comparison to compare two or more things or people and say how they are similar:
In her article, she makes a comparison between people’s lives now and 50 years ago.
It is possible to draw a comparison between the two poets’ work.
draw an analogy to say that two situations are similar – a rather formal use:
Some people have attempted to draw an analogy between America’s invasion of Iraq and the war in Vietnam.
draw a parallel to say that some features of things are similar, especially things that are actually very different – a rather formal use:
He draws a parallel between football and religion.
Parallels can be drawn between her work and that of Picasso.
contrast verb [transitive] to compare two things, situations etc, in order to show how they are different from each other:
In her novel she contrasts the lives of two families in very different circumstances.
make/draw a distinction between to say that you think two things are very different:
The author draws a distinction between allowing death to occur, and causing it.
It is important to make a distinction between people’s fears about crime and the amount of crime that really happens.
measure somebody/something against somebody/something to compare two people or things, in order to judge which is better, bigger, etc:
As a young actress, she was nervous of being measured against her famous father.
Murray’s progress is often measured against that of Nadal.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

difference a detail, fact, or quality that makes one person or thing different from another:
We should think about the similarities between cultures, not the differences.
⇒ difference between:
Try and spot the differences between these two pictures.
The difference between the two cheeses is that one is made from goat’s milk.
⇒ difference in:
I don’t think there’s any difference in the way you pronounce these two words.
⇒ know the difference:
He’s speaking Italian, not Spanish. Don’t you know the difference?
contrast a very clear difference that you can easily see when you compare two things or people: contrast between something/somebody and something/somebody:
What surprised me was the contrast between Picasso’s early style and his later work.
gap a big difference between two amounts, two ages, or two groups of people: gap between:
There’s a ten-year gap between Kay’s two children.
The gap between rich and poor is wider in the South than in the rest of the country.
⇒ age/gender/income etc gap:
The age gap between us didn’t seem to matter until we decided to have children.
gulf a very big difference and lack of understanding between two groups of people, especially in their beliefs, opinions, and way of life: gulf between somebody and somebody:
More riots led to a growing gulf between the police and the communities in which they worked.
⇒ bridge/cross the gulf (=improve understanding and communication):
The central problem was how to bridge the gulf between the warring factions of the party.
disparity formal a big difference between two groups of people or things – use this especially when you think the difference is unfair or may cause problems: disparity between:
It is not easy to explain the disparity that still exists between the salaries of men and women.
⇒ disparity in:
the disparity in wealth between the highest and the lowest employees
⇒ the economic/income etc disparity:
The economic disparity between the area’s black and white citizens is a serious problem.
compare to consider two or more things or people, in order to show how they are similar or different:
Scientists compared the results of both experiments.
The woman’s body was identified by comparing her teeth with dental records.
make/draw a comparison to compare two or more things or people and say how they are similar:
In her article, she makes a comparison between people’s lives now and 50 years ago.
It is possible to draw a comparison between the two poets’ work.
draw an analogy to say that two situations are similar – a rather formal use:
Some people have attempted to draw an analogy between America’s invasion of Iraq and the war in Vietnam.
draw a parallel to say that some features of things are similar, especially things that are actually very different – a rather formal use:
He draws a parallel between football and religion.
Parallels can be drawn between her work and that of Picasso.
make/draw a distinction between to say that you think two things are very different:
The author draws a distinction between allowing death to occur, and causing it.
It is important to make a distinction between people’s fears about crime and the amount of crime that really happens.
measure somebody/something against somebody/something to compare two people or things, in order to judge which is better, bigger, etc:
As a young actress, she was nervous of being measured against her famous father.
Murray’s progress is often measured against that of Nadal.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲