pale beside (someone or something)

pale beside (someone or something)

To be or seem less important, impressive, or otherwise deficient when compared to someone or something else. All of my siblings are surgeons, so I always feel like my career in art pales beside theirs. Our work pales beside the things our predecessors created.

See also: beside, pale

pale beside someone or something

Fig. to appear to be weak or unimportant when compared to someone or something. He is competent, but he pales beside Fran. My meager effort pales beside your masterpiece.

See also: beside, pale

ˈpale beside/next to something

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ˈpale in/by comparison (with/to something)

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ˈpale into insignificance

seem less important when compared with something else: Last year’s riots pale in comparison with this latest outburst of violence.

See also: beside, next, pale, something