compares

7 definitions • 14 examples

to examine or look for the difference between two or more things:

If you compare house prices in the two areas, it's quite amazing how different they are.

That seems expensive - have you compared prices in other shops?

Compare some recent work with your older stuff and you'll see how much you've improved.

This road is quite busy compared to/with ours.

Children seem to learn more interesting things compared to/with when we were at school.

to judge, suggest, or consider that something is similar or of equal quality to something else:

The poet compares his lover's tongue to a razor blade.

Still only 25, she has been compared to the greatest dancer of all time.

People compared her to Elizabeth Taylor.

You can't compare the two cities - they're totally different.

If something or someone does not compare with something or someone else, the second thing is very much better than the first:

Instant coffee just doesn't compare with freshly ground coffee.

If something compares favourably with something else, it is better than it:

The hotel certainly compared favourably with the one we stayed in last year.

so good that everyone or everything else is of worse quality:

Her beauty is beyond compare.

to examine or look for the differences between persons or things:

This store’s prices are high compared to what some other stores charge.

to consider or suggest that something is similar or equal to something else:

[ I ] Instant coffee doesn’t compare with freshly ground coffee (= fresh coffee is much better).