comparable

/ˈkɒmpərəbl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈkɑːmpərəbl/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈkäm-p(ə-)rə-bəl also kəm-ˈpa-rə-bəl -ˈper-ə-/ (ame, mw)

comparable — adjective

  • comparablepositive
  • more comparablecomparative
  • most comparablesuperlative

1. near enough to something else in a measurable way — for example, in size, cost,

1.形容詞C1
釋義

near enough to something else in a measurable way — for example, in size, cost, or quality — so that the two can reasonably be seen as being at the same level.

例句

Ravi found a flat whose rent was comparable to the one he paid in Osaka.

comparable to + noun (the compared item)

Hana's test scores are comparable to those of students who studied twice as long.

comparable to + those of + group

同義詞
  • similar

    broader; does not require an equal level on a measurable scale

  • equivalent

    stricter; means equal in value, amount, or meaning, not just close

  • analogous

    highlights parallel function or structure across different domains

反義詞
  • incomparable

    so different or superior that comparison is impossible

  • dissimilar

    simply not alike; weaker than 'incomparable'

文法句型

be comparable to + noun

be comparable in + noun (area of comparison)

be comparable with + noun

用法筆記

Almost always followed by 'to' when the other item is named: 'X is comparable to Y.' Use 'in' to specify the dimension being compared: 'comparable in size / price / quality.' Distinguished from sense 2: sense 1 focuses on how similar two things already are; sense 2 asks whether a comparison can validly be made at all.

常見錯誤

❌My salary is comparable with yours.' (when describing similarity)
✅My salary is comparable to yours.
💡for describing similarity in amount, use 'to', not 'with'.
❌This car is comparable cheap.
✅This car is comparable in price to that one.
💡'comparable' is an adjective, not an adverb; do not use it to modify another adjective.

2. having enough shared features or a common basis to make a fair or useful compari

2.形容詞B2
釋義

having enough shared features or a common basis to make a fair or useful comparison between two or more items reasonable.

例句

These two films are not comparable — one a comedy, the other a war film.

negative: not comparable + reason

Nadia argued that a teacher's workload is not comparable with a factory worker's hours.

not comparable with + counterexample

同義詞
  • commensurable

    formal; strictly means measurable by the same standard

  • on a par

    informal phrase; stresses equal standing for comparison

反義詞
  • incomparable

    literally not able to be compared; also used for extraordinary quality

  • unlike

    suggests difference but does not deny possibility of comparison

文法句型

be not comparable

be comparable with + noun

not comparable unless / because

用法筆記

Very often appears in negative statements ('not comparable') or in questions that challenge whether a comparison is valid. The preposition 'with' is more common than 'to' in this sense: 'X is not comparable with Y.' Distinguished from sense 1: sense 2 asks whether the conditions for comparison exist at all; sense 1 describes a degree of similarity between things already accepted as comparable.

常見錯誤

❌The two books are not comparable to each other.' (vague reference)
✅The two books are not comparable because they belong to different genres.
💡give a reason why the comparison is invalid.
❌These two things are incomparable to compare.' (redundant)
✅These two things are simply not comparable.
💡'comparable' already contains the idea of comparison; do not add 'to compare'.