incomparable vs rival

incomparable

adj
  • So much better than another as to be beyond comparison; matchless or unsurpassed. 

  • Not able to be compared. 

noun
  • Something beyond compare; a thing with which there is no comparison. 

rival

adj
  • Having the same pretensions or claims; standing in competition for superiority. 

verb
  • To be equal to, or match, or to surpass another. 

  • To oppose or compete with. 

  • To strive to equal or excel; to emulate. 

noun
  • A competitor (person, team, company, etc.) with the same goal as another, or striving to attain the same thing. Defeating a rival may be a primary or necessary goal of a competitor. 

  • Someone or something with similar claims of quality or distinction as another. 

How often have the words incomparable and rival occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )