can't hold a candle to someone/something

can't hold a candle to (someone or something)

Cannot compare to someone or something; is not nearly as good or desirable as someone or something. The sequel wasn't bad, but it can't hold a candle to the original. John's fast all right, but he can't hold a candle to Louise! I'm sorry, but today's architecture can't hold a candle to mid-century modern.

See also: candle, hold, to

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

can't hold a candle to someone/something

If you are comparing two people or things and you say that the first can't hold a candle to the second, you mean that the second is much better than the first. None of these teams can hold a candle to the sides led by Franz Beckenbauer in the early 70s. Newspapers, books and radio cannot hold a candle to television. Note: This expression suggests that the first person does not even deserve to hold a light to help the other person to see.

See also: candle, hold, someone, something, to

Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012