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pale in/by comparison to/with

idiom

Definition of pale in/by comparison to/with

: to seem less important, good, serious, etc., when compared with (something else)
  • The afternoon meal paled in comparison to/with the feast they had later.
  • Last year's losses pale by comparison with this year's.

Word by Word Definitions

pale play

  1. : palisade, paling

  2. : one of the stakes of a palisade

  3. : picket

  1. : to enclose with pales : fence

  1. : deficient in color or intensity of color : pallid

  2. : not bright or brilliant : dim

  3. : feeble, faint

  1. : to become pale

  2. : to make pale

  1. : involving or dealing with ancient forms or conditions

  2. : early : primitive : archaic

See the full definition of pale
comparison play

  1. : the act or process of comparing: such as

  2. : the representing of one thing or person as similar to or like another

  3. : an examination of two or more items to establish similarities and dissimilarities

See the full definition of comparison

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