make

¹make

verb \ˈmāk\

made\ˈmād\mak·ing

Definition of MAKE

transitive verb

1

a obsolete : behave, act b : to begin or seem to begin (an action) <made to go>

2

a : to cause to happen to or be experienced by someone <made trouble for us> b : to cause to exist, occur, or appear : create <make a disturbance> c : to favor the growth or occurrence of <haste makes waste> d : to fit, intend, or destine by or as if by creating <was made to be an actor>

3

a : to bring into being by forming, shaping, or altering material : fashion <make a dress> b : compose, write <make verses> c : to lay out and construct <make a road>

4

: to frame or formulate in the mind <make plans>

5

: to put together from components : constitute <houses made of stone>

6

a : to compute or estimate to be b : to form and hold in the mind <make no doubt of it>

7

a : to assemble and set alight the materials for (a fire) b : to set in order <make beds> c : prepare, fix <make dinner> d : to shuffle (a deck of cards) in preparation for dealing

8

: to prepare (hay) by cutting, drying, and storing

9

a : to cause to be or become <made them happy> <makes it possible> b : appoint <made him bishop>

10

a : enact, establish <make laws> b : to execute in an appropriate manner <make a will> c : set, name <make a price>

11

a chiefly dialect : shut <the doors are made against you — Shakespeare> b : to cause (an electric circuit) to be completed

12

a : to conclude as to the nature or meaning of something <what do you make of this development?> b : to regard as being <not the fool some make him>

13

a : to carry out (an action indicated or implied by the object) <make war> <make a speech> <make a detour> b : to perform with a bodily movement <make a sweeping gesture>

14

a : to produce as a result of action, effort, or behavior with respect to something <make a mess of the job> <tried to make a thorough job of it> b archaic : to turn into another language by translation

15

: to cause to act in a certain way : compel <make her give it back>

16

: to cause or assure the success or prosperity of <can either make you or break you>

17

a : to amount to in significance <makes a great difference> b : to form the essential being of <clothes make the man> c : to form by an assembling of individuals <make a quorum> d : to count as <that makes the third time you've said it>

18

a : to be or be capable of being changed or fashioned into <rags make the best paper> b : to develop into <she will make a fine judge> c : form 6b

19

a : reach, attain <made port before the storm> —often used with it <you'll never make it that far> b : to gain the rank of <make major> c : to gain a place on or in <make the team> <the story made the papers> d : to succeed in providing or obtaining <make bail>

20

: to gain (as money) by working, trading, or dealing <make a living>

21

a : to act so as to earn or acquire <makes friends easily> <makes poor grades> b : to score in a game or sport <make a field goal> <make a birdie> c : to convert (a split) into a spare in bowling d : to succeed in holing <make a putt>

22

a : to fulfill (a contract) in a card game b : to win a trick with (a card)

23

a : to include in a route or itinerary <make New York on the return trip> —often used with it <make it to the party> b : catch 6b <made the bus just in time>

24

: to persuade to consent to sexual intercourse : seduce

25

: to provide the most enjoyable or satisfying experience of <meeting the star of the show really made our day>

intransitive verb

1

archaic : to compose poetry

2

a : behave, act b : to begin or seem to begin a certain action <made as though to hand it to me> c : to act so as to be or to seem to be <make merry> d slang : to play a part —usually used with like

3

: set out, head <made after the fox> <made straight for home>

4

: to increase in height or size <the tide is making now>

5

: to reach or extend in a certain direction

6

: to have considerable effect <courtesy makes for safer driving>

7

: to undergo manufacture or processing <the silk makes up beautifully>

— make a face or make faces

: to distort one's features : grimace

— make a mountain out of a molehill

: to treat a trifling matter as of great importance

— make away with

1

: to carry off : steal

2

: kill

— make believe

: pretend, feign

— make bold

: venture, dare

— make book

: to accept bets at calculated odds on all the entrants in a race or contest

— make common cause

: to unite to achieve a shared goal

— make do

: to get along or manage with the means at hand

— make ends meet

: to make one's means adequate to one's needs

— make eyes

: ogle

— make friends with

: to establish a friendship or friendly relations with

— make fun of

: to make an object of amusement or laughter : ridicule, mock

— make good

1

or make good on : to make valid or complete: as

a : to make up for (a deficiency)

b : indemnify <make good the loss>

c : to carry out successfully <made good their escape> <made good on his promise>

d : prove <made good a charge>

2

: to prove to be capable; also : succeed

— make hay

: to make use of a situation or circumstance especially in order to gain an advantage

— make head

1

: to make progress especially against resistance

2

: to rise in armed revolt

— make it

1

a : to be successful <trying to make it in the big time as a fashion photographer — Joe Kane>

b : to be satisfactory or pleasing <if it isn't danceable, it doesn't make it for me — Judy Hyman>

2

: to have sexual intercourse

3

: survive, live <half the cubs won't make it through their first year>

— make light of

: to treat as of little account

— make love

1

: woo, court

2

a : neck, pet

b : to engage in sexual intercourse

— make much of

1

: to treat as of importance

2

: to treat with obvious affection or special consideration

— make nice

: to be deliberately and often insincerely polite and agreeable <must make nice to politicians they cannot stand — Ken Auletta>

— make no bones

: to be straightforward, unhesitating, or sure <makes no bones about the seriousness of the matter>

— make one's mark

: to achieve success or fame

— make public

: disclose

— make sail

1

: to raise or spread sail

2

: to set out on a voyage

— make shift

: to manage with difficulty

— make sport of

: ridicule, mock

— make the grade

: to measure up to some standard : be successful

— make the most of

: to show or use to the best advantage

— make the scene

: to be present at or participate in a usually specified activity or event

— make time

1

: to travel fast

2

: to gain time

3

: to make progress toward winning favor <trying to make time with the waitress>

— make tracks

1

: to proceed at a walk or run

2

: to go in a hurry : run away, flee

— make use of

: to put to use : employ

— make water

1

of a boat : leak

2

: urinate

— make waves

: to create a stir or disturbance

— make way

1

: to give room for passing, entering, or occupying

2

: to make progress

— make with

slang : produce, perform —usually used with the

Examples of MAKE

1. He works in a factory that makes jet engines.
2. She made the curtains herself.
3. He collected wood to make a fire.
4. She used cheese and a mixture of other ingredients to make a delicious sauce.
5. Someone was making a disturbance.
6. The car's engine has been making a strange noise lately.
7. The rock made a dent in the car's fender.
8. I'm not trying to make trouble.
9. The typist made a mistake.
10. I called the doctor's office to make an appointment.

Origin of MAKE

Middle English, from Old English macian; akin to Old High German mahhōn to prepare, make, Greek magēnai to be kneaded, Old Church Slavic mazati to anoint, smear

First Known Use: before 12th century

Related to MAKE

Synonyms: fabricate, fashion, form, frame, manufacture, produce, put together

Antonyms: demount, disassemble, dismantle, dismember, knock down, strike, take down, tear down

Related Words: assemble, build, construct, erect, make up, put up, raise, rear, set up, structure, throw up; craft, handcraft; hew; forge, mold, shape; cobble (together or up), knock out, patch (together), throw up; prefabricate; create, invent, mint, originate; establish, father, institute, organize; concoct, contrive, cook (up), design, devise, imagine, think (up); conceive, envisage, picture, visualize; refashion, remake, remanufacture

Near Antonyms: disassemble, dismantle, take apart; break up, dismember; abolish, annihilate, demolish, destroy, devastate, eradicate, exterminate, extinguish, flatten, pulverize, raze, ruin, shatter, smash, wreck; blow up, explode

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Rhymes with MAKE

ache, bake, brake, break, cake, crake, drake, Drake, fake, flake, hake, jake, lake, quake, rake, sake, shake, slake, snake, stake, steak, strake, take, wake