- pronunciation:
- k
m
per
- features:
- Note, Word Parts
| part of speech: |
verb |
| inflections: |
compares, comparing, compared |
| definition 1: |
When you compare things, you say how they are like each other or how they are different.
My aunt compared the two desserts she made. She said they were both good but one had coconut and the other had chocolate.- similar words:
- contrast
|
| definition 2: |
When you compare two things, you check them carefully to find out how they are the same or different.
I compared the two kinds of soups. One was thicker than the other, and it was saltier too.- similar words:
- measure, oppose, relate
|
| definition 3: |
We use the word "compare" to say that one thing is like another thing. If your sister likes to jump across the yard, you might compare her to a kangaroo.
Max's room was a big mess, and his mother compared it to a pig pen. |
| 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.