Meaning of “make” in the English Dictionary

English
Contents

"make" in English

See all translations

makeverb

uk ​ /meɪk/ us ​ /meɪk/ made, made

make verb (PRODUCE)

A1 [ T ] to produce something, often using a particular substance or material:

Do you want me to make some coffee?
He made a chocolate cake.
She makes all her own clothes.
[ + two objects ] He made us some coffee./He made some coffee for us.
The pot is made to withstand high temperatures.
He works for a company that makes furniture.
The label on the box said "made in China".
Butter is made out of/from milk.
earrings made of gold
Her new trainer has promised to make an Olympic athlete of her.

A1 [ T ] To make a film or television programme is to direct, produce it, or act in it:

John Huston made some great movies.
The movie was made by Goldcrest Productions.
So why didn't Garbo make any films after 1941?

More examples

Thesaurus: synonyms and related words

make verb (CAUSE)

B1 [ T ] to cause something:

The kids made a real mess in the kitchen.
The bullet made a hole right through his chest.
[ + infinitive without to ] The wind is making my eyes water.
What made you change your mind?
Just seeing Woody Allen's face is enough to make me laugh.
The photograph makes me look about 80!

More examples

Thesaurus: synonyms and related words

make verb (CAUSE TO BE)

› [ T ] to cause to be, to become, or to appear as:

[ + noun ] It's the good weather that makes Spain such a popular tourist destination.
[ + past participle ] She had to shout to make herself heard above the sound of the music.
I can make myself understood in French, but I'm not fluent.
They went up to the Ambassador and made themselves known (to her).
[ + adj ] The company accounts have not yet been made public.
The book's advertised as "navigation made easy".
The president has made Henry Paulson his Secretary of the Treasury.
I'll have a steak - no, make that chicken.
make certain/sure

A2 to take action so that you are certain that something happens, is true, etc.:

I'll just make sure I've turned the oven off.
Make certain (that) we have enough food for the party.
Make sure you're home by midnight.
Jones made sure of his place on the team with three great goals.
I think I locked the door but I'll go back and check just to make sure.

More examples

Thesaurus: synonyms and related words

make verb (PERFORM)

A2 [ T ] to perform an action:

I have to make a phone call.
Somebody has made a donation of £1 million to the charity Oxfam.
I need to make a doctor's appointment.
On foot they could only make about 20 miles a day.
We must make a decision by tomorrow.
You're not making any effort.
Someone has made a mistake/an error.
We're making good progress.
She has made a request for a new car.
We made an offer of £450,000 for the house.
She made a short speech.
Is it time to make a start on the work?
Can I make a suggestion?
We made good time getting across town.
There's a drunk at the door making trouble.
make room/space/way

C2 If you make room/space/way for something or someone, you move your body or move other things, so that there is space for it, him, or her.

make a bed

› to pull up and tidy the covers on a bed after it has been slept in:

She hurried upstairs and quickly made the beds.

More examples

Thesaurus: synonyms and related words

make verb (FORCE)

make sb do sth

More examples

B1 to force someone or something to do something:

You can't make him go if he doesn't want to.
The vet put something down the dog's throat to make it vomit.
be made to do sth

› to be forced to do something:

The prisoners are made to dig holes and fill them up again.

Thesaurus: synonyms and related words

make verb (TOTAL)

› [ L only + noun, T ] to produce a total when added together:

12 and 12 make 24.
Today's earthquake makes five since the beginning of the year.
[ + obj + noun ] I have 29 different teapots in my collection - if I buy this one that'll make it 30.

More examples

Thesaurus: synonyms and related words

make verb (CALCULATE)

› UK [ T + obj + noun ] to calculate as:

How much do you make the total?
I make the answer (to be) 105.6.
What do you make the time?/What time do you make it?

More examples

  • I make it 2,300.
  • I made it three o'clock exactly when they set off.
  • What do you make his temperature?
  • I make it just gone two o'clock.
  • I make the total £5.69.

Thesaurus: synonyms and related words

make verb (EARN/GET)

B2 [ T ] to earn or get:

She makes $100,000 a year as a doctor.
How do you make a living as a painter?
The company has made huge profits/losses.
He's very good at making new friends.

More examples

Thesaurus: synonyms and related words

make verb (ARRIVE)

B1 [ T ] informal to arrive at or reach, especially successfully:

She made it to the airport just in time to catch her plane.
He made it to the bed and then collapsed.
Could you make a meeting at 8 a.m.?/Could you make an 8 a.m. meeting?

More examples

Thesaurus: synonyms and related words

Grammar

Do or make?When we use do and make with noun phrases, do focuses on the process of acting or performing something, make emphasises more the product or outcome of an action: …
Made from, made of, made out of, made with …
Made fromWe often use made from when we talk about how something is manufactured: …
Made ofWe use made of when we talk about the basic material or qualities of something. It has a meaning similar to ‘composed of’: …
Made out ofWe usually use made out of when we talk about something that has been changed or transformed from one thing into another: …
Made withWe use made with most often to talk about the ingredients of food and drink: …
MakeThe verb make can be used in a number of ways. …

Idiom(s)

be made for sb/sth
be made of money
do you want to make something/anything of it?
make sth up as you go along
make a day/night/evening/weekend of it
make as if to do sth
make do
make it (to the top)
make it quick/fast
make it up to sb
make it with sb
make like
make much/a lot of sb
make much of sth
make or break sth
be make or break for sb/sth
make time
make to do sth
what sb is (really) made of

Phrasal verb(s)

make for somewhere/sth
make for sth
make sth into sth
make sth/sb of sth/sb
make sth of sth
make off
make off with sth
make sth/sb out
make sth out
make out sth
make out
make sb/sth over
make sth over to sb
make towards sth/sb
make sth up
make sb/sth up
make up sth
make up
make up for sth
make up to sb
make with sth

makenoun [ C ]

uk ​ /meɪk/ us ​ /meɪk/

Idiom(s)

be on the make

(Definition of “make” from the Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

"make" in American English

See all translations

makeverb

us ​ /meɪk/ past tense and past participle made /meɪd/

make verb (PRODUCE)

› [ T ] to bring something into existence, esp. using a particular substance or material; produce:

Does that company make computers?
Butter is made from cream.
My wedding ring is made of gold.
He made us some coffee.

make verb (CAUSE)

› [ T ] to cause something:

The kids made a mess in the kitchen.
Don’t make any noise.

make verb (CAUSE TO BE)

› [ T ] to cause something to be, become, or appear in a particular way:

If you open some windows, you’ll make it cooler.
He said something that made her angry.
We can sit closer together and make room (= provide space) for one more.
We’re making our attic into a spare bedroom.

make verb (PERFORM)

› [ T ] to perform an action:

I’ve got to make a (phone) call to Ricardo.
We must make a decision by tomorrow.
Someone has made a mistake.
Latisha is making progress in her reading.
Can I make a suggestion?
We might as well make use of the car, since we’ve got it for the whole weekend.
make the bed

› To make the bed is to put sheets and covers on a bed so that someone can sleep in it, or to straighten them after it has been slept in.

make verb (FORCE)

› [ T ] to force someone or something to do something:

Ambition will make you get up off your sofa and go out and work for what you want.

make verb (BE OR BECOME)

› [ L ] to be or become something, esp. by having the necessary characteristics:

I don’t think he will ever make a good lawyer.
Hector and Wanda make a delightful couple.
He worked really hard, but he didn’t make the team (= was not chosen to be a member of it).

make verb (TOTAL)

› [ L ] to add up to (a total):

6 and 6 make 12.

make verb (EARN)

› [ T ] to earn or get:

She makes $70,000 a year.
Can you make a living as a painter?

make verb (ARRIVE)

› [ T ] infml to arrive at or reach:

We should make Whitefish Bay by nightfall.
He made it to the bed and then collapsed.
maker
noun [ C ] us ​ /ˈmeɪ·kər/

›

The makers of music videos show a fantasy world.

Idiom(s)

make a beeline for something
make a (big) difference
make a face (at someone/something)
make a fool (out) of someone
make a habit of something
make a mountain out of a molehill
make a point of doing something
make someone's acquaintance
make allowances for something
make believe
make someone’s blood boil
make someone's day
make do (with something)
make ends meet
make fun of someone
make good
make good on something
make good time
(not) make heads or tails of something
make headway
make it (big)
make light of something
make love
make much of something
make no apologies
make no bones about
make no difference
make or break something
make sense
make short work of someone/something
make sure
make that something
make the grade (as something)
make the most of something
make time
make up for lost time
make up your mind
make waves
make way for something
on the make

Phrasal verb(s)

make for somewhere/something
make something of something/someone
make someone/yourself/something out
make over someone/something
make out something
make out something/someone
make out
make out
make something up to someone
make up for something
make up something
make up something
make up something
make up something
make up something
make up
make off with something

makenoun [ C ]

us ​ /meɪk/

make noun [ C ] (PRODUCT)

› a particular product, or the name of the company that made it:

What make of air conditioner do you recommend?

(Definition of “make” from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

"make" in Business English

See all translations

makeverb [ T ]

uk ​ /meɪk/ us ​ made, made

› to produce or prepare goods, etc.:

The firm is only a small player in the industry, making around 1,000 vehicles a year.
We make software that allows mobile employees to connect securely to their corporate networks.
made of sth The bottles are made of opaque glass so that the contents cannot be seen.
made from sth All our coffee is made from beans sourced locally.

› to earn or receive money:

make money Investors are hoping that one day "green" companies will make serious money.
make $30,000/£500/€75m, etc. The state of Alaska makes around $50 million a year on tobacco taxes.
She makes around £100,000 a year as a dentist.
make sth on sth They made $500,000 in total on the deal.
make a living In this area it's hard to make a living as a gardener.

› to do a particular thing:

make a decision/mistake/improvement No major decisions are made without the CEO's approval.
make a deal/purchase/offer The deal includes a $25 million break-up fee, which could encourage other bidders to make a competing offer.

› to say something officially or formally:

make a recommendation/statement/judgment The audit makes a series of recommendations.
make an announcement/a comment/a speech Both parties plan to make an announcement before Christmas.

› to choose someone as something, or employ someone as something:

He was made Principal Analyst within a year of joining the company.

› to cause someone or something to be in a particular state:

In August this year, she was made redundant from her job at the bank after 15 years' service.
make sth available/accessible/user-friendly One of the project's key goals is to make the website available in different languages.
make a market (in sth)

› to be ready, willing, and able to buy or sell particular bonds, shares, etc. as a dealer:

Western investment banks are being allowed to make a market in Chinese domestic shares.
make a payment/loan/investment, etc.

› to pay, lend, invest, etc. money:

Shareholders may authorize a third party, such as a bank or employer, to make investments directly to their Fund accounts.
make a profit/loss

› to earn or lose more money than you spend:

The business made a pre-tax profit of £14.9m last year.
make a go of sth informal

› to make something successful:

They spent nearly all their savings trying to make a go of the business.
It has become increasingly difficult for independent operators to make a go of it.
make good also make it (big) informal

› to become rich and successful:

After years of hard work, she finally made good.
Los Angeles is full of people who go there to "make it big" like the stars in Hollywood.
make good a deficit, shortfall, etc.

› to reduce the bad effect of there not being enough of something, for example money:

Many employers have been called upon to make good the deficits in their pension plans.
Exports of North Sea oil and gas dried up and failed to make good the shortfall in the manufacturing sector.
make sth good

› to pay for or repair something that has been damaged:

The company is not under any liability to make good any damage to the site.
make good on sth

› to do something that you have promised to do, for example paying back money that you owe or paying for the cost of damage you have caused:

The company did not acknowledge its future obligation to make good on the losses sustained by its offshore partnerships.
make or break

› to cause someone or something either to be very successful, or to cause them to fail:

The first year of trading can make or break a new business.

Phrasal verb(s)

make out
make sth out
make sth over
make up sth

makenoun [ C ]

uk ​ /meɪk/ us ​

› COMMERCE the name of a product made by a particular company, rather than by other companies that make similar products:

Depending on the make and model, delivery could take as little as a week.
What make of car do you drive?
See also
brand
be on the make disapproving

› to be trying very hard to get more money or power for yourself:

Many people assume that politicians are just on the make.

(Definition of “make” from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Blogs about "make"

Think long and hard; the language of decisions

by Liz Walter,

Translations of “make”
 
Need a translator?

Translator tool

Get a quick, free translation!

What is the pronunciation of make?
Browse