make up for something phrasal verb ( see also ↑ make )
1 . to make a bad situation better, or replace something that has been lost SYN compensate :
The team will be anxious to make up for a disappointing start to the season.
I don’t eat breakfast but I make up for it at lunch.
The good days more than make up for the bad ones.
2 . to have so much of one quality that it is not important that you do not have much of another one
make up for something in/with
What Jay lacked in experience, he made up for in enthusiasm.
Caroline doesn’t have a natural talent for music but she makes up for it with hard work.
3 . to do something to show that you are sorry for doing something that upset or annoyed someone:
I’m sorry I was late. To make up for it, let me treat you to a meal.
4 . make up for lost time
a) to work more quickly, or at times when you do not usually work, because something has prevented you from doing the work before:
We rehearsed all day Saturday, to make up for lost time.
b) to do a lot of something in an eager way because you have not had a chance to do it before:
Palin didn’t travel much as a young man but he’s certainly made up for lost time now.