Comparison: English Vocabulary List

to have a similar appearance or characteristic to someone or something else

"This painting resembles a famous masterpiece."

"The young boy closely resembles his father in both appearance and personality traits which is quite remarkable."

to compare or represent something as similar to something else

"They liken him to a hero."

"The poet likened her beautiful singing voice to the gentle sound of a flowing river in springtime."

to recognize the difference present between two people or things

"Can you differentiate between these two sounds?"

"It is often difficult to differentiate between identical twins because they look exactly the same."

to compare two people or things so that their differences are noticeable

"Her dark hair contrasts with fair skin."

"The designer chose to contrast the bright yellow walls with dark wooden furniture."

a person or thing that serves a similar purpose or role to another

"Her counterpart arrived later."

"The minister met his foreign counterpart to discuss important trade agreements between the two countries."

the opposition between two opinions, tendencies, etc.

"The polarity between the two leaders was clear."

"There is strong polarity between the two political parties on this important issue."

lack of harmony, consistency, or compatibility between two or more elements

"The incongruity of the situation made us laugh."

"There was a strange incongruity between his words and his actual actions during the meeting."

an obvious difference between two similar or related things or persons

"There is a clear distinction between right and wrong."

"There is a clear distinction between the two similar but different concepts in philosophy."

a noticeable and often significant difference or inequality between two or more things

"The disparity in wealth is a problem."

"The disparity between the rich and the poor grew larger as wages for workers stayed flat while executive salaries increased dramatically each year."

a difference in interests, views, opinions, etc.

"Divergence in their opinions."

"The divergence in their career aspirations led them to pursue very different paths after graduation."

a lack of similarity between facts, reports, claims, or other things that are supposed to be alike

"There was a discrepancy between the two reports."

"There was a discrepancy between the witness's testimony and the physical evidence found at the scene."

able to be compared with another thing due to sharing a similar feature, nature, etc.

"The situation is analogous."

"The relationship between a teacher and a student is analogous to that of a coach and an athlete."

composed of things or people of the same or very similar type

"The mixture is homogeneous."

"The homogeneous mixture had the same composition throughout and no visible layers."

not in proper relation or balance to something else

"The fine is disproportionate."

"The disproportionate amount of time spent on social media affected his grades and his sleep."

completely different or opposed in basic qualities or usual behaviors

"His opinion is contrary."

"Contrary to popular belief not all spiders are dangerous and many of them help control insect populations in gardens and homes."

not sharing any form of similarity

"The groups are disparate."

"The disparate groups came together to protest the new law despite their many differences."

showing opposing ideas or opinions that do not agree, causing confusion or disagreement

"The reports are conflicting."

"The conflicting reports made it impossible to know what really happened during the protest."

(of two or more things) not able to exist or work together harmoniously due to fundamental differences or contradictions

"The programs are incompatible."

"The incompatible software would not run on her old computer so she had to buy a new one."

having similar characteristics or qualities

"The feeling is akin to fear."

"The feeling of falling in a dream is akin to the sensation of weightlessness in space."

to match the same qualities as someone or something

"The machine simulates real flight conditions."

"The flight simulator is designed to simulate real flying conditions so pilots can practice emergency procedures safely."

to differ or deviate from a standard or expected condition

"Prices vary widely."

"The success of the project will vary depending on the team's dedication and available resources."

to be the distinctive feature or characteristic between two things, people, etc.

"It will distinguish them."

"His unwavering integrity and ethical conduct will distinguish him from his less scrupulous colleagues."

the direct opposite or contrasting counterpart to something

"He is the antithesis of calm."

"His calm personality is the complete antithesis of his brother's wild and energetic character."

a resemblance or comparison between two things

"Show the parallel."

"There is a striking parallel between the challenges faced by emerging economies today and those of the past."

a profound division separating people, beliefs, or viewpoints

"A chasm between them."

"The political debate revealed a deep chasm in understanding between the two opposing parties."

the presence of a variety of distinct characteristics within a group

"The city is known for its cultural diversity."

"The city is famous for its rich cultural diversity and harmonious coexistence of different communities."

a specific aspect or element characterized by lack of uniformity, regularity, or harmony

"The inconsistency in his story was suspicious."

"The lawyer noticed an inconsistency in the witness statement during the court trial yesterday."

similar in every detail and totally alike

"The shirts are identical."

"The two sisters are identical twins and even their parents sometimes confuse them."

conflicting or out of harmony, creating an unpleasant or startling effect

"The music was jarring."

"The jarring contrast between the two colors created an unpleasant and startling visual effect."

separate and different in a way that is easily recognized

"The colors are distinct."

"The distinct smell of coffee filled the room and everyone felt more awake."

measured or judged in comparison to something else

"It is a relative success."

"The success of the project was relative to the limited resources available at the time."

(of statements, beliefs, facts, etc.) incompatible or opposed to one another, even if not strictly illogical

"His statements are contradictory."

"The witness gave contradictory statements to the police and they could not believe anything he said because his story kept changing."

(of two statements, etc.) not agreeing with one another

"The stories are inconsistent."

"His statements about the incident were inconsistent, leading to confusion among the investigators."