1com·pare 
/kəmˈpeɚ/ verb
com·pares; com·pared; com·par·ing /kəmˈpeɚ/ verb 1 [+ obj] : to say that (something) is similar to something else
▪ The poet compared [=likened] his sweetheart to a beautiful rose. ▪ The singer's voice has been compared to that of Elvis. 2 [+ obj] : to look at (two or more things) closely in order to see what is similar or different about them or in order to decide which one is better
▪ We each did the homework assignment, then compared answers. ▪ I compared several bicycles before buying one. ▪ For our assignment we must compare and contrast the two poets. [=say what is similar and different about them] 3 [no obj] : to be as good or as bad as something else : to be on the same level or in the same category as something else — usually + with or to ▪ He says skiing is fun enough but it can't compare with snowboarding. [=he says skiing is fun but snowboarding is better] ▪ Spraining an ankle hurts but doesn't compare to breaking a leg. [=breaking a leg is worse than spraining an ankle] 4 [no obj] : to seem better or worse in comparison to something else : to be good or bad when measured against something else
▪ How do the restaurants compare? — usually + with or to ▪ How does your new job compare to the last one? [=is your new job better or worse than the last one?] ▪ Her scores compare well with those of the rest of the class.
▪ The poet compared [=likened] his sweetheart to a beautiful rose. ▪ 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. ▪ For our assignment we must compare and contrast the two poets. [=say what is similar and different about them]
▪ How do the restaurants compare? — usually + with or to ▪ How does your new job compare to the last one? [=is your new job better or worse than the last one?] ▪ Her scores compare well with those of the rest of the class.
compare apples and/to/with apples
: to compare things that are very similar
▪ The article compares apples to apples, grouping wines of the same variety and price together.
▪ The article compares apples to apples, grouping wines of the same variety and price together.
compare apples and/to/with oranges
: to compare things that are very different
▪ To compare large trucks with compact cars is to compare apples with oranges.
▪ To compare large trucks with compact cars is to compare apples with oranges.
compared to or compared with
: in relation to (something else) : measured or judged against (something else)
▪ I'm a slob compared to my roommate. ▪ This rain is nothing compared to what we got yesterday. [=yesterday's rain was worse than today's rain] ▪ Today's quiz was easy compared with the last one.
▪ I'm a slob compared to my roommate. ▪ This rain is nothing compared to what we got yesterday. [=yesterday's rain was worse than today's rain] ▪ Today's quiz was easy compared with the last one.
compare notes
: to talk to someone about something that you and that person have each done, experienced, etc.
▪ The parents compared notes on raising children. ▪ I phoned a coworker after the meeting to compare notes.
▪ The parents compared notes on raising children. ▪ I phoned a coworker after the meeting to compare notes.
