/ meɪk; NAmE / verb , noun
■ verb
( made , made / meɪd; NAmE /)
CREATE
1.
make sth (from / (out) of sth) | make sth into sth | make sth (for sb) | make sb sth to create or prepare sth by combining materials or putting parts together :
[ vn ]
to make a table / dress / cake
to make bread / cement / paper
She makes her own clothes.
Wine is made from grapes.
The grapes are made into wine.
What's your shirt made of?
made in France (= on a label)
[ vn , vnn ]
She made coffee for us all.
She made us all coffee.
➡ note at do
2.
[ vn ] to write, create or prepare sth :
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.
A BED
3.
[ vn ] to arrange a bed so that it is neat and ready for use
CAUSE TO APPEAR / HAPPEN / BECOME / DO
4.
[ vn ] to cause sth to appear as a result of breaking, tearing, hitting or removing material :
The stone made a dent in the roof of the car.
The holes in the cloth were made by moths.
5.
[ vn ] to cause sth 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 .
6.
[ vn - adj ] to cause sb/sth to be or become sth :
The news made him very happy.
She made her objections clear.
He made it clear that he objected.
The full story was never made public .
Can you make yourself understood in Russian?
She couldn't make herself heard above the noise of the traffic.
The terrorists made it known that tourists would be targeted.
7.
[ vn inf ] to cause sb/sth to do sth :
She always makes me laugh.
This dress makes me look fat.
What makes you say that (= why do you think so) ?
Nothing will make me change my mind.
8.
make sth of sb/sth | make sth sth to cause sb/sth to be or become sth :
[ vn ]
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.
It's important to try and make something of (= achieve sth in) your life.
We'll make a tennis player of you yet.
[ vn - n ]
I made painting the house my project for the summer.
She made it her business to find out who was responsible.
A DECISION / GUESS / COMMENT, etc.
9.
[ vn ] make a decision, guess, comment, etc. to decide, guess, etc. sth :
Come on! It's time we made a start.
HELP NOTE : Make can be used in this way with a number of different nouns. These expressions are included at the entry for each noun.
FORCE
10.
to force sb to do sth :
[ vn inf ]
They made me repeat the whole story.
[ vn to inf ]
She must be made to comply with the rules.
HELP NOTE : This pattern is only used in the passive.
[ vn ]
He never cleans his room and his mother never tries to make him.
REPRESENT
11.
to represent sb/sth as being or doing sth :
[ vn - adj ]
You've made my nose too big (= for example in a drawing) .
[ vn - n ]
He makes King Lear a truly tragic figure.
APPOINT
12.
[ vn - n ] to elect or choose sb as sth :
She made him her assistant.
BE SUITABLE
13.
linking verb [ v - n ] to become or develop into sth; to be suitable for sth :
She would have made an excellent teacher.
This room would make a nice office.
EQUAL
14.
linking verb [ v - n ] to add up to or equal sth :
5 and 7 make 12.
A hundred cents make one euro.
15.
linking verb [ v - n ] to be a total of sth :
That makes the third time he's failed his driving test!
MONEY
16.
[ vn ] 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 .
He made a fortune on the stock market.
He makes a living as a stand-up comic.
CALCULATE
17.
[ vn - n ] [ no passive ] to think or calculate sth to be sth :
What time do you make it ?
I make that exactly $50.
REACH
18.
[ vn ] [ no passive ] 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.
The story made (= appeared on) the front pages of the national newspapers.
We just managed to make the deadline (= to finish sth in time) .
STH SUCCESSFUL
19.
[ vn ] to cause sth to be a success :
Good wine can make a meal.
The news really made my day .
•
IDIOMS
Most idioms containing make are at the entries for the nouns and adjectives in the idioms, for example make merry is at merry .
- make as if to do sth
- make do (with sth)
- make good
- make sth good
- make it
- make it with sb
- make like ...
- make the most of sth/sb / yourself
- make much of sth/sb
- make or break sth
- make something of yourself
•
PHRASAL VERBS
- make for sth
—see also be made for sb / each other at made
- make sb/sth into sb/sth
- make sth of sb/sth
- make off
- make off with sth
- make out
- make sb out
- make sb/sth out
- make sth out
- make sth over (to sb/sth)
- make towards sth
- make up | make yourself / sb up
- make sth up
- make up for sth
- make up (to sb) for sth
- make up to sb
- make up (with sb)
■ noun
make (of sth) the name or type of a machine, piece of equipment, etc. that is made by a particular company :
What make of car does he drive?
There are so many different makes to choose from.
a Swiss make of watch
•
IDIOMS
- on the make
••
SYNONYMS
make
create ♦ develop ♦ produce ♦ generate ♦ form
These words all mean to make sth from parts or materials, or to cause sth to exist or happen.
make
to create or prepare sth by combining materials or putting parts together; to cause sth to exist or happen:
She makes her own clothes.
•
She made a good impression on the interviewer.
create
to make sth exist or happen, especially sth new that did not exist before:
Scientists disagree about how the universe was created.
make or create?
Make is a more general word and is more often used for physical things: you would usually make a table / dress / cake but create jobs / wealth . You can use create for sth physical in order to emphasize how original or unusual the object is:
Try this new dish, created by our head chef.
develop
(used especially in business contexts) to think of and produce a new product:
to develop new software
produce
to make things to be sold; to create sth using skill:
a factory that produces microchips
generate
to produce or create sth, especially power, money or ideas:
to generate electricity
•
Brainstorming is a good way of generating ideas.
form
[often passive] to make sth from sth else; to make sth into sth else:
Rearrange the letters to form a new word.
•
The chain is formed from 136 links.
PATTERNS AND COLLOCATIONS :
to make / create / develop / produce / generate / form sth from / out of sth
to make / form sth into sth
to make / produce wine
to create / develop a new product
to create / produce / generate income / profits / wealth
to produce / generate electricity / heat / power
••
WORD ORIGIN
Old English macian , of West Germanic origin, from a base meaning fitting; related to the verb match .