📒 to create or prepare something by combining materials or putting parts together
- make something to make a table/dress/cake
- to make bread/cement/paper
- She makes her own clothes.
📒 to write, create or prepare something
- These regulations were made to protect children.
- My lawyer has been urging me to make a will.
- She has made (= directed or acted in) several movies.
📒 to cause something to appear as a result of breaking, tearing, hitting or removing material
- make something + adv./prep. The stone made a dent in the roof of the car.
- make something The holes in the cloth were made by moths.
📒 to cause something to exist, happen or be done
- to make a noise/mess/fuss
- She tried to make a good impression on the interviewer.
- I keep making the same mistakes.
📒 to cause somebody/something to feel, show or have a particular quality; to cause somebody/something to be or become something
- The news made him very happy.
- She made her objections clear.
- Technology promises to make our lives easier.
📒 to cause somebody/something to do something
- She always makes me laugh.
- This dress makes me look fat.
- What makes you say that (= why do you think so)?
📒 to cause somebody/something to be or become a particular kind of thing or person
- make something of somebody/something This isn't very important—I don't want to make an issue of it.
- Don't make a habit of it.
- You've made a terrible mess of this job.
📒 to arrange a bed so that it is neat and ready for use
📒 to decide, guess, etc. something
- Come on! It's time we made a start.
- The plane was forced to make an emergency landing because of bad weather.
📒 to force somebody to do something
- make somebody do something They made me repeat the whole story.
- be made to do something She must be made to comply with the rules.
- make somebody He never cleans his room and his mother never tries to make him.
📒 to represent somebody/something as being or doing something
- make somebody/something + adj. You've made my nose too big (= for example in a drawing).
- make somebody/something + noun He makes King Lear a truly tragic figure.
📒 to elect or choose somebody as something
- She made him her assistant.
📒 to become or develop into something; to be suitable for something
- She would have made an excellent teacher.
- This room would make a nice office.
📒 to add up to or equal something
- 5 and 7 make 12.
- A hundred cents make one euro.
📒 to be a total of something
- That makes the third time he's failed his driving test!
📒 to earn or gain money
- She makes $100 000 a year.
- to make a profit/loss
- We need to think of ways to make money.
📒 to think or calculate something to be something
- What time do you make it?
- I make that exactly $50.
📒 to manage to reach or go to a place or position
- Do you think we'll make Dover by 12?
- I'm sorry I couldn't make your party last night.
- He'll never make (= get a place in) the team.
📒 to cause something to be a success
- Good wine can make a meal.
- The news really made my day.
📒 to make a movement that makes it seem as if you are just going to do something
📒 to manage with something that is not really good enough
- We were in a hurry so we had to make do with a quick snack.
📒 to become rich and successful
📒 to pay for, replace or repair something that has been lost or damaged
- She promised to make good the damage.
📒 to do something that you have promised, threatened, etc. to do
📒 to be successful in your career
- He never really made it as an actor.
📒 to succeed in reaching a place in time, especially when this is difficult
- The flight leaves in twenty minutes—we'll never make it.
📒 to be able to be present at a place
- I'm sorry I won't be able to make it (= for example, to a party) on Saturday.
📒 to survive after a serious illness or accident; to deal successfully with a difficult experience
- The doctors think he's going to make it.
- make it through something I don't know how I made it through the week.
📒 to have sex with somebody
📒 to pretend to be, know or have something in order to impress people
- He makes like he's the greatest actor of all time.
📒 to gain as much advantage, pleasure, etc. as you can from somebody/something
- It's my first trip abroad so I'm going to make the most of it.
- She doesn't know how to make the most of herself (= make herself appear in the best possible way).
📒 to treat something/somebody as very important
- He always makes much of his humble origins.
📒 to be the thing that makes somebody/something either a success or a failure
- This movie will make or break him as a director.
- It's make-or-break time for the company.
📒 to be successful in your life
- I wanted to study hard and really make something of myself.