match
Pluralmatches
Verbmatches, matching, matched
Pluralmatches
Formsmatches, matching, matched
- 1
- 2To be the same as something, or to look good or fit together.
Like two puzzle pieces that fit together.
Your shoes match your belt.
Her story matched the facts exactly.
Similarcorrespond, agree, fit, tally
Oppositediffer, clash, contradict
Note
- 3A small stick with a tip that catches fire when you rub it on a rough surface.
Like a tiny stick of fire you make by scratching it on something rough.
She struck a match to light the candle.
All the matches in the box were damp and would not light.
UsageSay strike a match.
Similarmatchstick
Note
- 4To bring two people or things together so they suit each other well.
Like pairing each sock with the one that looks the same.
The agency tries to match job seekers with the right employers.
A good waiter can match a wine to almost any dish.
UsageSay match one person with another.
Similarpair, partner, couple, team
Note
- 5
- 6Someone or something that goes well with another, or how well they fit.
Like two socks that belong to the same pair.
Those two are a perfect match.
Red wine and steak make a great match.
UsageSay two things are a perfect match.
Similarfit, pair, pairing, combination
Oppositemismatch
- 7A state where two things are the same or fit together.
There was a perfect match between the two sets of numbers.
The lab confirmed a DNA match.
UsageSay a match between two things, or a DNA match.
Similarcorrespondence, agreement
Oppositemismatch, discrepancy
Note
- 8
- 9
Less common meanings
- 10A person who is as good as or better than someone else at something.
Like a runner who is just as fast as the best one in the race.
In chess, she was more than a match for the club champion.
The young boxer proved a real match for the veteran.
UsageSay you meet your match, or someone is no match for you.
Note
- 11Equal strength or chances between sides in a game or contest.
The two teams were such a close match that no one could pick a winner.
Giving both players the same rackets made it a fair match.
Oppositemismatch
Note
- 12
- 13An agreement or deal made between two or more people.
Thy hand upon that match.
c. 1602, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Troylus and Cressida”Here, match means an agreement or deal that both sides must keep.[I]t hath been obſerv'd, that Love doth ſeldome ſuffer it ſelf to be confin'd by other matches, then thoſe of its ovvne making.
1648, Robert Boyle, Some Motives and Incentives to the Love of God. [Seraphick Love]Here, matches means agreements or deals that bind people.Similaragreement, compact, pact, deal, accord
Note
- 14To join a man and woman together in marriage.
A senator of Rome survived, Would not have matched his daughter with a king.
1712, [Joseph] Addison, CatoHere, matched means married off, joined in marriage.Note
- 15A board or block that holds a pattern partway in to shape where a mold splits apart.
Showing meanings only.
Practice
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Origins
From an Old English word meaning a companion, mate, or partner.
Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 1 fact
- Match derives from an Old English word meaning a companion, mate, or partner. en.wiktionary.org
From a Middle English verb meaning "to marry" or "be paired with", made from the noun.
Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 3 facts
- The verb match derives from a Middle English verb. en.wiktionary.org
- That Middle English verb meant “to marry” or “be paired with”. en.wiktionary.org
- The Middle English verb was formed from the noun. en.wiktionary.org
From an Old French word for a candle wick, probably going back to a Greek word for a lamp wick.
Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 2 facts
- Match derives from an Old French word meaning candle wick. en.wiktionary.org
- The word probably ultimately derives from a Greek word for lamp wick. en.wiktionary.org