compare

compare — verb

1. to look at two or more people or things side by side in order to notice what is

1.verbtransitiveB1
Definition

to look at two or more people or things side by side in order to notice what is different or similar between them.

Example

Before buying a car, Priya compared the prices of three different models.

compare + noun + with/to + noun for examining differences

The teacher asked the class to compare two poems written in the same century.

Common collocations
  • compare prices
  • compare results
  • compare notes
  • compare figures
  • compare data
Synonyms
  • contrast

    focuses on differences only, while compare looks at both similarities and differences

  • evaluate

    more formal; includes judging value, not just spotting differences

  • weigh

    suggests carefully considering options against each other

Grammar Patterns

compare + noun + with/to + noun

Usage Note

With this sense, both 'compare A to B' and 'compare A with B' are common. Some users prefer 'compare with' when looking at differences in detail, but the two forms are largely interchangeable in everyday use.

Common Mistakes

I compared my answer to the key and found two mistakes.' (vague; could mean likening).
I compared my answer with the answer key to find the differences.
'compare with' signals a detailed side-by-side check for differences.

2. to say or think that one person or thing is like another person or thing, especi

2.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to say or think that one person or thing is like another person or thing, especially in terms of quality, value, or character.

Example

Critics have compared the young filmmaker to a legendary director from the 1970s.

compare + noun + to + noun for likening

Some people compare city life to a never-ending race where nobody stops.

Common collocations
  • compare to
  • compared to
  • commonly compared to
  • often compared to
Synonyms
  • liken

    more formal and literary; means the same thing

  • equate

    stronger; suggests the two things are equal, not just similar

  • draw a parallel

    phrasal; suggests highlighting shared features

Antonyms
  • contrast

    to point out differences rather than similarities

Grammar Patterns

compare + noun + to + noun

Usage Note

This sense almost always takes 'to' rather than 'with'. Saying 'I compared his singing to a bird' means you think his voice sounds like a bird. Using 'with' here would shift toward the EXAMINE DIFFERENCES sense.

Common Mistakes

She compared the new phone with a pocket computer, meaning they are alike.
She compared the new phone to a pocket computer.
use 'compare to' when describing similarity.

3. used to say that one person or thing is so much better than another that the two

3.verbintransitiveB2
Definition

used to say that one person or thing is so much better than another that the two cannot be seen as equal or similar.

Example

Homemade soup simply does not compare with the canned kind from the shop.

does not compare + with/to — negative pattern

No other beach along this coast can compare to the beauty of Hana Bay.

Common collocations
  • cannot compare
  • doesn't compare
  • does not compare with
  • does not compare to
Synonyms
  • cannot match

    stronger and more direct; 'cannot match X' means X is clearly better

  • pales in comparison

    idiomatic and slightly formal; 'pales beside' for an even shorter version

Antonyms
  • rival

    positive; 'can rival X' means it is almost as good as X

Grammar Patterns

does/did/will not compare + with/to + noun

Usage Note

Always appears in negative sentences ('doesn't compare', 'cannot compare'), never in positive statements like 'this compares with that'. The positive form belongs to the COMPARES WELL sense instead.

Common Mistakes

This restaurant compares with the one downtown.' (meaning it's worse).
This restaurant does not compare with the one downtown.
the negative is required to express inferiority.

4. to be as good as or better than something else when judged side by side, often u

4.verbintransitiveC1
Definition

to be as good as or better than something else when judged side by side, often used with an adverb to show the result of the comparison.

Example

This new laptop compares favourably with models that cost twice as much.

compare + favourably + with/to — evaluates as good or better

The local hospital compares well against top medical centres in the capital.

Common collocations
  • compare favourably
  • compare well
  • compare poorly
  • compare badly
Synonyms
  • rival

    more direct and active; 'rivals X' means it matches X in quality

  • match

    suggests equal quality; 'matches X in performance'

  • hold its own

    idiomatic; 'holds its own against X' means it performs respectably

Antonyms
  • fall short

    opposite direction; 'falls short of X' means it is not as good

Grammar Patterns

compare + adverb (favourably/well) + with/to + noun

Usage Note

Frequently paired with adverbs ('favourably', 'well', 'badly', 'poorly'). The British spelling 'favourably' is standard in UK English; 'favorably' is used in American English.

Common Mistakes

This film compares with that one.' (unclear — good or bad?).
This film compares favourably with that one.
the adverb clarifies the direction of the comparison.
Idioms

compare notes

idiom

to exchange ideas, opinions, or information with someone about a shared experience or topic.

After the workshop, the teachers sat down to compare notes on what worked best in their classrooms.

The two journalists met for coffee to compare notes about the election campaign.

compare apples and oranges

idiom

to try to compare two things that are so different that any comparison between them is unfair or meaningless.

Comparing a short story with a feature film is like comparing apples and oranges.

Rashida told her manager that comparing sales data from two different industries was comparing apples and oranges.

compare notes (with somebody)

idiom

To share opinions or information about something with another person.

After the meeting, Min and Sara compared notes on the presentation.

Did you compare notes with Diego about the movie we watched?

you can’t compare apples and oranges

idiom

Used to say that two things are too different to be compared fairly.

Comparing a bicycle to a car is like comparing apples and oranges.

You can't compare apples and oranges when judging these two artists.

compare — noun

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

Compare, contrast, evaluate, and weigh all involve looking at two or more things side by side, but they differ in focus. Compare (B1) is the broadest term: you look at both similarities and differences. Contrast (B2) is narrower — it looks only at differences. If the teacher says 'compare and contrast', the first part includes similarities and differences while the second singles out differences. Evaluate (B2) goes beyond noticing to assigning value or quality ('the committee evaluated three proposals'). Weigh (B2) focuses on decision-making: you consider pros and cons of each option before choosing ('she weighed the costs against the benefits'). In everyday use, compare is the safest choice when you want to note what is alike and what is different between two items.

compare ↗contrast ↗evaluate ↗weigh ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • comparison
  • comparison chart
  • comparison shop
  • comparison table

Adverbs

  • carefully compare
  • directly compare
  • closely compare
  • roughly compare

Phrases

  • by comparison
  • in comparison to
  • in comparison with
  • there's no comparison

Prepositions

  • compare to
  • compare with

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Compare comes from the Latin verb 'comparare', meaning 'to pair, to match'. This was formed from 'com-' (together) and 'par' (equal). It passed into Old French as 'comperer' and entered Middle English around the 1400s. The original idea of 'putting things together to see if they are equal' has remained at the heart of the word's meaning ever since.