compare

verb

com·pare | \ kəm-ˈper

compared; comparing

Definition of compare

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : to represent as similar : liken Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?— William Shakespeare

2a : to examine the character or qualities of especially in order to discover resemblances or differences compare your responses with the answers

b : to view in relation to He is tall compared to me. The test was easy compared with the last one.

3 : to inflect or modify (an adjective or adverb) according to the degrees of comparison : state the positive, comparative, and superlative forms of

intransitive verb

1 : to bear being compared The two don't even begin to compare. We bought two different brands of peanut butter to see how they compare.

2 : to make comparisons If we now go to Italy at all, we go not to learn, but to compare.— Norman Douglas

3 : to be equal or alike Nothing compares to you.

compare

noun

Definition of compare (Entry 2 of 2)

: the possibility of comparing beauty beyond compare also : something with which to be compared a city without compare

Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about compare

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Synonyms & Antonyms for compare

Synonyms: Verb

analogize, assimilate, bracket, equate, liken

Antonyms: Verb

contrast

Choose the Right Synonym for compare

Verb

compare, contrast, collate mean to set side by side in order to show differences and likenesses. compare implies an aim of showing relative values or excellences by bringing out characteristic qualities whether similar or divergent. compared the convention facilities of the two cities contrast implies an emphasis on differences. contrasted the computerized system with the old filing cards collate implies minute and critical inspection in order to note points of agreement or divergence. data from districts around the country will be collated

Verb

compare and contrast mean to look closely at something in order to show likenesses and differences. compare is used for showing the likenesses between two or more things. Compare these sofas for size and comfort. contrast is used for showing the differences and especially the characteristics which are opposite. She finds it easy to contrast country and city life.

Examples of compare in a Sentence

Verb

The singer's voice has been compared to that of Elvis. We each did the homework assignment, then compared answers. I compared several bicycles before buying one.

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

The six foot tall Sitwell— whose looks were once compared to those of a Plantaganet portrait—embraced her imposing appearance with a signature wardrobe of turbans, heavily brocaded robes, and boldly oversized jewels. — Stellene Volandes, Town & Country, "Will This Aquamarine Ring Make You Look Like An English Aristocrat?," 5 Apr. 2019 The lyrics recall her dad’s abandonment, and eventually compares that experience to the nurturing one her children will have with Brandon. — Megan Stein, Country Living, "This Video of Kelly Clarkson's Husband Surprising Her on Stage Will Make You Ugly Cry," 2 Apr. 2019 To account for this, the report’s authors looked at women’s earnings across a 15-year period, and compared those with men’s. — Anna North, Vox, "You’ve heard that women make 80 cents to men’s dollar. It’s much worse than that.," 2 Apr. 2019 Ten of them are acting as underwriters on the deal, which could value the company at $5.5 billion, compared with an average of three on other U.S. IPOs. — Liz Hoffman, WSJ, "IPO of Tradeweb has Banks Feuding Over the Alphabet to Get Top Billing," 8 Mar. 2019 Uber, which launched its rewards program in November and modeled it after airline miles programs, introduced 24/7 phone support (compared to the regular in-app bot and online assistance) for its highest tier Diamond members. — Meredith Carey, Condé Nast Traveler, "Airbnb’s ‘Superguest’ Program: The Benefits We Want to See," 18 Dec. 2018 The world’s largest electronics contract manufacturer delivered net profit of $62.62 billion New Taiwan dollars (US$2.0 billion), compared with NT$71.66 billion a year earlier. — Yoko Kubota, WSJ, "Major Apple Supplier Foxconn Suffers Profit Drop," 29 Mar. 2019 Home prices in Seattle rose just 4.1 percent in January from a year ago, compared with a 12.8 percent gain in January 2018. — Christopher Rugaber, The Seattle Times, "US home price gains fall to lowest in more than 6 years," 26 Mar. 2019 Being compared to sweets isn't a bad thing in my book! — Kelly O'sullivan, Country Living, "'The Voice' Fans Can't Stop Talking About Kelly Clarkson's Battle Rounds Dress," 26 Mar. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

How does this compare to the country's fires in the past? — Katherine Lagrave, Condé Nast Traveler, "Wildfires in Greece Kill Dozens Near Athens," 25 July 2018 But how does the sentimental, personal announcement of their first pregnancy compare to that of Kate Middleton and Prince William, Princess Diana and Prince Charles, or even Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip? — Lucy Wood, Marie Claire, "How Meghan Markle's Pregnancy Announcement Compares to Kate Middleton and Princess Diana," 15 Oct. 2018 But this card's earning potential compares favorably to the best travel credit cards out there, like the Chase Sapphire Reserve and the American Express Platinum Card. — Ryan Craggs, Condé Nast Traveler, "The New SPG Luxury Credit Card Is Suddenly One of the Best Travel Credit Cards," 14 Sep. 2018 Prime is important to Amazon because Prime members shop more frequently, spend more per year and price-compare less than Amazon customers who aren’t Prime members. — Jason Del Rey, Recode, "Prime Day is more than a gimmick, it’s the single biggest event to expand Amazon’s defensive moat," 16 July 2018 The fallout from that privacy scandal has been enormous – but how does Google's breach compare? — CBS News, "Google reportedly allows apps to scan some people's Gmail inboxes," 3 July 2018 That total compares with only nine for Obama at the same point in his first term. — Brooks Jackson, Philly.com, "Trump's Numbers (Second Quarterly Update) | FactCheck," 11 July 2018 John Wayne Airport had 893,668 passengers in April, an increase of 42,499 compare to last year. — Anthony Clark Carpio, latimes.com, "Hollywood Burbank Airport reports another increase in passenger numbers," 6 June 2018 Marie Claire: How does season two compare to season one? — Rachel Epstein, Marie Claire, "Karamo Brown on 'Queer Eye' Season Two, the Fab Five, and Crying with Strangers in Restaurants," 4 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'compare.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.