mismatch

[mis-mach, mis-mach]

verb (used with object)

1. to match badly or unsuitably.

noun

1. a bad or unsatisfactory match.

mismatch

/ ˌmɪsˈmætʃ /

verb

1. to match badly, esp in marriage

noun

1. a bad or inappropriate match

Word History and Origins

Origin of mismatch¹

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

Example Sentences

Keaton again paired with Jack Nicholson in this 2003 romantic comedy about a pair of mismatched professionals who fall in love in late middle age despite their best efforts to the contrary.

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In Kigali it was hard to miss the contrast between European teams with their sleek $15,000 bikes and African teams making do with older, mismatched equipment.

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Although women make up roughly 60% of college grads, outpacing men with degrees, that educational mismatch hasn’t stopped educated women from marrying.

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The exasperation over a lost water bottle, the frustration of mismatched shin guards, the stress of ticking off a mental check-list when rushing out the door—I loved how ordinary these problems felt.

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The mismatch has hit California particularly hard, triggering a state audit, legislative proposals and funding initiatives.

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Related Words

• discrepancy 
• imbalance