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

Example Sentences

Now, though, a whole raft of problems developed — from an asset-liability mismatch to questions about the AI capex boom, opaque pricing and the “Hormuz shock.”

From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026

Booker is a mismatch against anyone she faces, as a 6-foot-1 forward who can shoot and play physically.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026

The sensory mismatch — a coconut-flavored “potato” — is a little kid’s dream, like the Jelly Belly “Bean Boozled” pack or a cupcake that looks like a hamburger.

From Salon • Mar. 17, 2026

The extent of that mismatch has surprised me, four days on from the Spring Statement and a week into this conflict.

From BBC • Mar. 6, 2026

Elizabeth and her friend are a total mismatch.

From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan

Related Words

• discrepancy
• imbalance