mismatch

American  

[mis-mach, mis-mach] / mɪsˈmætʃ, ˈmɪsˌmætʃ /

verb (used with object)

1. to match badly or unsuitably.

---

noun

1. a bad or unsatisfactory match.

mismatch British  

/ ˌmɪsˈmætʃ /

verb

1. to match badly, esp in marriage

---

noun

1. a bad or inappropriate match

Etymology

Origin of mismatch

First recorded in 1590–1600; mis- ¹ + match ²

Explanation

When two things (or people) don't work well together or correspond with each other, it's a mismatch. If there's a mismatch between the amount of free time you have and the hours of exercise your puppy needs, you might want to hire a dog walker. There might be a mismatch between workers' skills and the actual jobs that are available, or a mismatch between your aunt and uncle, who seem totally unsuited for each other. Mismatch is also a verb that means "match up badly," like when you mismatch your red shirt with your purple pants. Sometimes sports matches or games are called mismatches too, when one team is clearly superior to the other.

Example Sentences

The love interest in Sara Jafari's "The Mismatch" is a British lad with all the embarrassment that entails; wearing running shorts in the winter, posting shirtless selfies where he pouts at the camera.

From Salon • Aug. 21, 2022

Mismatch repair enzymes recognize the wrongly incorporated base and excise it from the DNA, replacing it with the correct base.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

Mismatch No. 1 this weekend. a big spread to cover, but ...

From Fox News • Oct. 27, 2021

Mismatch is the problem—you are not the problem.

From Slate • Jun. 10, 2021

Mismatch in captialization and also in name of discoverer.

From Travels in Peru, on the Coast, in the Sierra, Across the Cordilleras and the Andes, into the Primeval Forests by Ross, Thomasina

Related Words

• discrepancy
• imbalance