compare
/kəmˈpeə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /kəmˈper/ (ame, ipa) · /kəm-ˈper/ (ame, mw) · /kəmˈpeər/ (bre, ipa)
compare — verb
1. to look at two or more people or things side by side in order to notice what is
to look at two or more people or things side by side in order to notice what is different or similar between them.
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.
If you compare this year's sales figures with last year's, the growth is clear.
Diego compared the original document with the copy to look for changes.
文法句型
compare + noun + with/to + noun
用法筆記
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.
常見錯誤
2. to say or think that one person or thing is like another person or thing, especi
to say or think that one person or thing is like another person or thing, especially in terms of quality, value, or character.
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.
The mayor compared the town's recovery to a garden growing after a storm.
Many fans compare the band's new album to their earlier works from the 1990s.
- 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
- contrast
to point out differences rather than similarities
文法句型
compare + noun + to + noun
用法筆記
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.
常見錯誤
3. used to say that one person or thing is so much better than another that the two
used to say that one person or thing is so much better than another that the two cannot be seen as equal or similar.
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.
For Yusuf, the corner café's coffee does not compare to what he makes at home.
The service on this train does not compare with what passengers received ten years ago.
- 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
- rival
positive; 'can rival X' means it is almost as good as X
文法句型
does/did/will not compare + with/to + noun
用法筆記
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.
常見錯誤
4. to be as good as or better than something else when judged side by side, often u
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.
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.
Although the fabric costs less, it compares favourably with more expensive silk.
The university's engineering programme compares well with those at much older schools.
- 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
- fall short
opposite direction; 'falls short of X' means it is not as good
文法句型
compare + adverb (favourably/well) + with/to + noun
用法筆記
Frequently paired with adverbs ('favourably', 'well', 'badly', 'poorly'). The British spelling 'favourably' is standard in UK English; 'favorably' is used in American English.
常見錯誤
compare — noun
1. used in expressions such as 'nothing compares (to)' to say that a person or thin
used in expressions such as 'nothing compares (to)' to say that a person or thing is so good that no other person or thing reaches the same standard.
For fresh seafood, nothing compares to the early morning market in Keelung.
nothing compares to — fixed expression of superiority
When it comes to solving complex problems, nobody compares to Dr. Okafor.
In terms of sound quality, nothing compares to hearing live musicians in a small hall.
In the world of classical piano, nothing compares to listening to the great masters of the past.
- unmatched
adjective; 'unmatched quality' means no other is as good
- second to none
idiomatic; 'the service is second to none'
- beyond compare
formal/literary; 'beauty beyond compare'
文法句型
nothing/nobody compares + to + noun
用法筆記
Though structurally a verb form ('compares' is third-person singular), the expression 'nothing/nobody compares to X' functions as a fixed phrase meaning X is the best. It is closely related to the CAN'T COMPARE verb sense but is used without 'does not'.