What does "match" mean?

1. (sports game) a sports competition between two people or teams. 2. (fire lighter) a small wooden stick that makes fire when you rub it against a box. 3. (a pair) two things that look good together or are the same. 4. (to look the same) to be the same or to look good with something else. 5. (to find a pair) to find two things that belong together. 6. (to equal) to be as good as someone or something else. 7. (computing) to find a string of text that follows a specific pattern.

How do you use "match"?

Can be used transitively with an object or intransitively to describe how two things relate. Usually takes a direct object representing the pattern or string.

match — meaning, definition & examples

Word

01sports game

A1 · Beginner Countable noun Sports

n. a sports competition between two people or teams.

n. a formal competitive sporting event between two individuals or sides.

“We bought tickets for the football match on Saturday afternoon.”

“The championship match was delayed by several hours due to a sudden thunderstorm that left the grass courts unplayable.”

Synonyms

game bout contest

02fire lighter

A2 · Elementary Countable noun

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.

“He struck a match to light the candles on the birthday cake.”

“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

lucifer

03a pair

B1 · Intermediate Countable noun

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.

“These socks aren't a match; one is dark blue and the other is black.”

“The interior designer struggled to find a perfect match for the vintage wallpaper, as the original dye had faded over decades.”

Synonyms

pair equivalent mate

Antonyms

mismatch

04to look the same

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.

“Your tie doesn't really match your shirt.”

“The witness's description of the suspect did not match the footage captured by the security cameras at the entrance.”

Usage

Can be used transitively with an object or intransitively to describe how two things relate.

Synonyms

coordinate correspond tally

Antonyms

clash differ

05to find a pair

B1 · Intermediate

v. to find two things that belong together.

v. to find or provide an equal or appropriate counterpart for something.

“The app helps match volunteers with local charities that need help.”

“The recruitment agency uses an algorithm to match candidates' specific skill sets with the requirements of high-growth startups.”

Synonyms

pair couple link

Antonyms

separate

06to equal

B2 · Upper Intermediate

v. to be as good as someone or something else.

v. to be equal to another in quality, strength, or achievement.

“No one can match her skill at playing the piano.”

“Although the new model is faster, it cannot match the durability and reliability of the previous generation's engine design.”

Synonyms

equal rival parallel

Antonyms

fail fall short

07computing

C1 · Advanced Computing Technical

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.

“The search will match any word that starts with 'auto'.”

“The script was designed to match specific error codes within the server logs and trigger an automated alert to the engineering team.”

Usage

Usually takes a direct object representing the pattern or string.

Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “match” in context.

01. match description

“Italy stormed to a dominant 4-1 win at Turkey in the Nations League on Monday with the Azzurri’s best performance for a long time, in Mancini’s second match in charge.”

Times Union / AP 28 Sept 2026

“It took Mr Plaud eight years to build the model, which is made out of 706,900 matches and 23kg of glue.”

BBC News 9 Feb 2024

“Then, in the 1820s came the match, the world's first cheap, convenient method of producing fire at will.”

The Washington Post 9 Dec 1997

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.

NOUN

match(A1)