- pronunciation:
- k
m
per
- parts of speech:
- transitive verb, intransitive verb, noun
- phrases:
- compare apples to oranges
- features:
- Word Combinations (verb), Note, Word Parts
| part of speech: |
transitive verb |
| inflections: |
compares, comparing, compared |
| definition 1: |
to note the likenesses and differences of.
The professor compared the economic system in the U.S. with the economic system in China.If you compare the two brothers, you'll see that they're both very intelligent but one is interested in academics and the other is not.- synonyms:
- liken
- similar words:
- analogize, contrast, differentiate
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| definition 2: |
to bring together for the purpose of noting likenesses and differences.
The police compared the two sets of fingerprints and found that they didn't match.- synonyms:
- juxtapose
- similar words:
- measure, oppose, relate
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| definition 3: |
to liken (one thing) to another.
He compared her eyes to two shimmering pools.She compared her daughter's room to a pigsty. |
| related words: |
balance, mate |
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| part of speech: |
intransitive verb |
| definition: |
to be considered similar.
Nothing can compare to a good cup of coffee in the morning.They say these symphonies compare somewhat to those of Haydn.- similar words:
- approximate, correspond, match
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| part of speech: |
noun |
| definition: |
comparison.
She is an artist beyond compare.- similar words:
- analogy, likeness, match, parallel, resemblance, similarity
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| phrase: |
compare apples to oranges |
| derivation: |
comparer (n.) |
compare to or compare with?
Compare to is used to say that something is like another thing.
Compare with is used when you look at two things to find out whether they are the same or different, or to describe in what ways they are similar or different. In recent years, the use of "compare with" has decreased, however, and many people are using "compare to" for both meanings, especially in the expression "compared to." Some strict grammar teachers might still say that the sentence "It's very cold today compared to yesterday" is incorrect, but the use of "to" in this type of sentence is accepted as correct by most people nowadays.
Compare:
- She compared her boyfriend to a handsome movie star.
- She compared her old car with her new car.