match
- 01 A1 Beginner
n.a sports competition between two people or teams.
n.a formal competitive sporting event between two individuals or sides.
Simple“We bought tickets for the football match on Saturday afternoon.”
In context“The championship match was delayed by several hours due to a sudden thunderstorm that left the grass courts unplayable.”
- 02 A2 Elementary
n.a small wooden stick that makes fire when you rub it against a box.
n.a short, slender piece of wood or cardboard tipped with a chemical substance that ignites via friction.
Simple“He struck a match to light the candles on the birthday cake.”
In context“In the damp conditions of the cave, they struggled to strike a match that would stay lit long enough to kindle the dry leaves.”
Synonyms - 03 B1 Intermediate
n.two things that look good together or are the same.
n.a person or thing that is equal to, or coordinates well with, another.
Simple“These socks aren't a match; one is dark blue and the other is black.”
In context“The interior designer struggled to find a perfect match for the vintage wallpaper, as the original dye had faded over decades.”
SynonymsAntonyms - 04 A2 Elementary
v.to be the same or to look good with something else.
v.to correspond in appearance, quality, or nature; to be identical or harmonious.
Simple“Your tie doesn't really match your shirt.”
In context“The witness's description of the suspect did not match the footage captured by the security cameras at the entrance.”
UsageCan be used transitively with an object or intransitively to describe how two things relate.
Synonyms - 05 B1 Intermediate
v.to find two things that belong together.
v.to find or provide an equal or appropriate counterpart for something.
Simple“The app helps match volunteers with local charities that need help.”
In context“The recruitment agency uses an algorithm to match candidates' specific skill sets with the requirements of high-growth startups.”
- 06 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to be as good as someone or something else.
v.to be equal to another in quality, strength, or achievement.
Simple“No one can match her skill at playing the piano.”
In context“Although the new model is faster, it cannot match the durability and reliability of the previous generation's engine design.”
Antonyms - 07 C1 Advanced
v.to find a string of text that follows a specific pattern.
v.to satisfy the conditions of a pattern-matching algorithm or regular expression.
Simple“The search will match any word that starts with 'auto'.”
In context“The script was designed to match specific error codes within the server logs and trigger an automated alert to the engineering team.”
UsageUsually takes a direct object representing the pattern or string.
Usage match since · matches last · match in charge
From Middle English macche, mecche, from Old English mæċċa, ġemæċċa (“companion, mate, wife, one suited to another”), from Proto-West Germanic makkjō, gamakkjō (“partner, equal”), from Proto-Germanic makô, from Proto-Indo-European mag- (“to knead, work”). Compare Danish mage (“mate”), Icelandic maki (“spouse”).
From Middle English macchen (“to marry; be paired with”), from the noun (see above).
From Middle English macche, mecche (“wick (of a candle)”), from Old French mesche, meische, from Vulgar Latin micca (compare Catalan metxa, Spanish mecha, Italian miccia), which in turn is probably from Latin myxa (“nozzle, curved part of a lamp”), from Ancient Greek μύξα (múxa, “lamp wick”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.