- [countable] (especially British English) a sports event where people or teams compete against each other
- (British English) a football match
- (North American English, British English) a tennis match
- a league match
- They are playing an important match against Liverpool on Saturday.
- to win/lose a match
- I'll probably watch the match on TV.
- Dublin took on Toulouse in their opening match of the European Cup.
- Ireland took the match (= won) 2–1 .
Extra ExamplesTopics Sports: ball and racket sportsa1- Mbappé had an outstanding match.
- He almost made it to the final match.
- He's such a keen fan, he even goes to all the away matches.
- Kett fought back to tie the match.
- She was injured in last week's match.
- The match will be played in the new stadium.
- The team had an excellent match.
- They lost their match with Estonia.
- They managed to level the match, then went 2–1 ahead.
- He played more than 40 matches for England.
- This will be her first competitive match in charge of the team.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- boxing
- chess
- football
- …
- play
- have
- go to
- …
- take place
- during a/the match
- in a/the match
- match against
- …
- [singular] a person who is equal to somebody else in strength, skill, intelligence, etc.
- a/no match for somebody (at something) I was no match for him at tennis.
- We should be a match for most teams.
- somebody’s match (at something) I was his match at tennis.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- excellent
- good
- perfect
- …
- find
- make
- match between
- match for
- meet your match
- the right match
- [singular] a person or thing that combines well with somebody/something else
- The curtains and carpet are a good match.
- a… match for somebody Jo and Ian are a perfect match for each other.
- a… match between A and B an excellent match between our goals and what your company offers
Extra Examples- Our job is to find the right match for our clients.
- You need to feel confident that the candidate is the right match.
- That jumper should be a good match for your trousers.
- The blouse and skirt are a perfect match.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- excellent
- good
- perfect
- …
- find
- make
- match between
- match for
- meet your match
- the right match
- [countable] a thing that is or looks exactly the same as or very similar to something else
- I've found a vase that is an exact match of the one I broke.
- This paint is a close enough colour match to the original.
- She has a rare blood type, and finding a match could take years.
- To forge the certificate, she needed an exact match for the paper and the fonts.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- exact
- find
- match for
- [countable] a small stick made of wood or cardboard that is used for lighting a fire, cigarette, etc.
- a box of matches
- to strike a match (= to make it burn)
- to put a match to something (= set fire to something)
- If you suspect a gas leak do not strike a match or use electricity.
- He took all her letters into the yard and put a match to them.
- He lit a match so they could see in the cave.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- lighted
- lit
- book
- box
- light
- strike
- blow out
- …
- put a match to something
- [countable] (old-fashioned) a marriage or a marriage partner
- He was determined that his daughter should make a good match (= find a suitable husband).
in sport
an equal
somebody/something that combines well
something the same
for lighting fires
marriage
Word Originnoun senses 2 to 6 Old English gemæcca ‘mate, companion’, of West Germanic origin; related to the base of make. noun sense 1 late Middle English (in the sense ‘wick of a candle’): from Old French meche, perhaps from Latin myxa ‘spout of a lamp’, later ‘lamp wick’.
Idioms
See match in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee match in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic Englishfind/meet your match (in somebody)
- to meet somebody who is equal to or even better than you in strength, skill or intelligence
- He thought he could beat anyone at chess but he’s met his match in Peter.
Extra Examples- I think he's finally met his match in Lisa.
- She knew she had met her match and tried to retreat.
(the) man of the match
Check pronunciation:
match