Meaning & use
mismatch
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Meanings
nouncountable
A combination of two things or people that do not go well together or are not suitable for each other.
Grammar: Countable: a mismatch, two mismatches. Often followed by 'between': a mismatch between An and B.
Patterns
- a mismatch between something and something
- a mismatch in something
- a mismatch of something
There is a clear mismatch between the job description and the actual duties.
The mismatch between their expectations and reality caused tension.
The team suffered from a mismatch of skills and roles.
verbtransitive
To pair or combine two things or people that do not suit each other.
Grammar: Takes an object: mismatch the colors. Often used in the passive: the players were mismatched.
Patterns
- mismatch something
- be mismatched with something
- mismatch something and something
The software mismatched the names with the wrong addresses.
The two fighters were badly mismatched in weight and experience.
She mismatched the socks and wore one blue and one black.
Word forms
| plural | mismatches |
|---|---|
| third person singular | mismatches |
| past tense | mismatched |
| past participle | mismatched |
| -ing form | mismatching |
Common combinations
- a mismatch between
- There is a mismatch between what students learn and what employers need.
- a mismatch of
- The room was decorated in a strange mismatch of styles.
- a skills mismatch
- The report highlights a growing skills mismatch in the economy.
- be mismatched with
- The candidates were mismatched with the wrong departments.
Synonyms and how they differ
- incompatibility
- Stronger and more formal, suggesting that two things cannot work together at all; 'mismatch' is milder and more neutral.
- discrepancy
- Used for differences between things that should be the same, such as figures or accounts; 'mismatch' is about things not fitting well together.
- imbalance
- Focuses on a lack of balance or proportion, often in numbers; 'mismatch' focuses on unsuitability.
Opposites
Word family
- mismatched adjective
- Not matching or not going well together, as in mismatched socks.
Commonly confused: mismatch or mismatch?
mismatch vs mismatch
Not to be confused with 'mishap', which means a small accident or unlucky event.
Practice
There is a serious ______ between the skills workers have and the jobs available.
Choose one answer.
The sentence needs a singular noun after 'a serious'; 'mismatch' fits. 'Mismatched' is an adjective or past verb, 'mismatching' is a verb form, and 'mismatches' is plural and would not follow 'a'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “mismatch”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.