Useful English Word or Phrase to Boost Your English: Not a Patch On (Idiom)

Quick summary: An informal idiom used to say that something is much less good than something else.

What does it mean?

To say something is not a patch on something else means it is nowhere near as good as the original or the thing it is being compared to.

Is it positive or negative?

It is negative, used for comparison.

When do you use it?

Use it in everyday conversation when the situation matches the meaning.

Examples

Example 1: The sequel was okay, but it was not a patch on the first movie.

Question for you

Have you heard or used 'not a patch on' in real conversation?

Are you looking for English speaking practice online?

Are you looking for English speaking practice online? Other methods are not a patch on learning with a native speaker! I offer online English lessons using Teams, Google Meet, and Zoom. My English speaking lessons are perfect if you want to improve your spoken fluency and learn natural expressions directly from a British native speaker. If you want to study English with a British native speaker online, you can find out more about lessons here. For another useful word, see chuffed.