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make1 definition

make (māk)

transitive verb made, making mak′·ing

  1. to bring into being; specif.,
    1. to form by shaping or putting parts or ingredients together, physically or mentally; build, construct, fabricate, fashion, create, compose, devise, formulate, etc.
    2. to fit or destine, as if by fashioning they were made for each other
    3. to cause; bring about; produce to make corrections
    4. to bring together materials for and start to make a fire
    5. to cause to be available; provide to make change, to make room
    6. to present for consideration to make a suggestion
  2. to bring into a specified condition; specif.,: sometimes used reflexively make yourself comfortable
    1. to cause to be or become; specif., to elect or appoint make her director
    2. to cause to seem the portrait makes him an old man
  3. to prepare by arranging the sheets, blankets, etc.: said of a bed
    1. to amount to; form as a total two pints make a quart
    2. to count as; constitute this makes his fifth novel
  5. to turn out to be; have, or prove to have, the essential qualities of to make a fine leader
  6. to set up; establish to make rules
    1. to get or acquire, as by one's behavior to make friends
    2. to get by earning, investing, etc. to make a fortune
  8. to cause the success of that venture made her
  9. to understand or regard as the meaning (of) what do you make of the poem?
  10. to estimate to be; regard as I make the distance about 500 miles
    1. to do or perform (a specified action); execute; accomplish to make a quick turn
    2. to engage in; carry on to make war
  12. to deliver (a speech) or utter (remarks, etc.)
  13. to cause or force: followed by an infinitive without to make the machine work, make him behave
    1. to arrive at; reach the ship made port
    2. to arrive at in time to make a train
  15. to go or travel; traverse to make 500 miles the first day, to make 90 miles an hour
  16. Informal to succeed in getting membership in, a position on, the status of, recognition in, etc. to make the team, to make the headlines
  17. ☆ Slang to succeed in becoming the lover of; seduce
  18. Slang to identify or recognize
  19. Slang to induct, for one's lifetime, into the Mafia: usually used as a participial adj. a made man
  20. Archaic to shut (a door) tight
  21. Card Games
    1. to win (tricks) or fulfill (one's bid)
    2. to take a trick with (a specified card)
    3. to shuffle (the cards)
  22. Elec. to close (a circuit); effect (a contact)
  23. Games to score; get as a score
  24. Law to perform, execute, or sign (a legal document)

Etymology: ME maken < OE macian, akin to Ger machen < IE base *maĝ-, to knead, press, stretch > mason, Gr magis, kneaded mass, paste, dough, mageus, kneader

intransitive verb

  1. to start (to do something) she made to go
  2. to tend, extend, or point (to, toward, etc.)
  3. to behave in a specified manner: with a following adjective make bold, make merry, etc.
  4. to cause something to be in a specified condition make ready, make fast, etc.
  5. to increase in depth or volume; rise or accumulate, as tide, snow, water in a ship, etc.
  6. to mature: said of hay, etc.

noun

  1. the act or process of making; esp., manufacture
  2. the amount made; output, esp. of manufacture
  3. the way in which something is made; style; build
  4. type, sort, or brand: with reference to the maker or the place, time, etc. of making a foreign make of car
  5. disposition; character; nature a man of this make
  6. Slang the act or process of identifying a person, taking fingerprints, etc. in police work run a make on the suspect
  7. Elec. the closing of a circuit by making contact

Related Forms:

make Idioms

make a fool (or an ass, etc.) of

to cause to seem a fool (or an ass, etc.)

make after

to chase or follow

make a meal on

or make a meal of
to eat as a meal

make as if

or make as as though
to behave as if

make away with

  1. to steal
  2. to get rid of
  3. to eat all of
  4. to kill

make believe

to pretend; act a part

make do

to get along, or manage, with what is available

make for

  1. to head for; go toward
  2. to charge at; attack
  3. to tend toward; help effect

make good

☆
  1. to give or do something as a substitute for; repay or replace
  2. to fulfill
  3. to succeed in doing; accomplish
  4. to be successful
  5. to prove

make it

  1. Informal to do or achieve a certain thing
  2. ☆ Slang to have sexual intercourse (with)

make like

☆
Slang to imitate; impersonate

make off

to go away; run away

make off with

to steal

make or break

to cause the success or failure of

make out

  1. to see or hear with some difficulty but clearly enough to understand
  2. to understand
  3. to write out
  4. to fill out (as a blank form)
  5. to show or prove to be
  6. to try to show, affirm, or imply to be
  7. to succeed; get along
  8. ☆ Slang
    1. to kiss and caress as lovers
    2. to have sexual intercourse

make over

  1. to change; renovate
  2. to transfer the ownership of by or as by signing a legal document
  3. Informal to be demonstrative toward or about

make someone's day

☆
Slang to give pleasure that will be the high point of someone's day

make something of

  1. to find a use for
  2. to treat as of great importance
  3. ☆ Informal to make an issue of

make up

  1. to put together; compose; compound
  2. to form; constitute
  3. to invent; create
  4. to complete by providing what is lacking
  5. to compensate (for)
  6. to arrange
    1. to become friendly again after a disagreement or quarrel
    2. to settle (an argument or differences) in a friendly manner
    1. to put on what is required for a role in a play, as a costume, wig, greasepaint, rouge, powder, etc.
    2. to put cosmetics on
  9. to resolve or decide (one's mind)
  10. to select and arrange type, illustrations, etc. for (a book, magazine, page, etc.)
  11. ☆ Educ. to take again (an examination or course that one has failed) or to take (an examination that one has missed)

make up to

to flatter, or try to be agreeable to, in order to become friendly or intimate with

make with

Slang
  1. to use, or do something with, in the way indicated or implied
  2. to produce or supply to make with the jokes

on the make

☆
  1. Informal trying to succeed financially, socially, etc., esp. in an aggressive way
  2. Slang seeking a lover

put the make on

Slang to make sexual advances to
make2 definition

make (māk)

noun

  1. an equal; peer
  2. a mate, companion, or spouse

Etymology: ME < OE gemaca (akin to Ger gemach, fitting, suitable) < base of macian: see make

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Alternate definitions:

idioms make idiom

make Synonyms

make

v.

  1. To produce

    construct, fabricate, produce, manufacture, form, shape, fashion, mold, build, assemble, set up; see also build 1, form 1, manufacture 1.

  2. To total

    add up to, come to, equal; see amount to.

  3. To create

    originate, cause, conceive; see compose 3, create 2, invent 1, produce 2.

  4. To acquire

    gain, get, secure, earn; see obtain 1.

  5. To force

    constrain, compel, coerce; see force 1.

  6. To reach

    progress, reach, arrive at; see arrive 1.

  7. To cause

    start, effect, initiate; see begin 1, cause 2.

  8. To appoint

    name, select, constitute; see assign 1, delegate 1, 2.

  9. To offer

    proffer, tender, advance; see offer 1.

  10. To wage

    carry on, conduct, engage in; see wage.

  11. To enact

    decree, legislate, establish; see declare 1, enact.

  12. To prepare

    get ready, arrange, adjust; see cook, prepare 1.

  13. To perform

    do, carry through, execute; see perform 1.

  14. To move

    proceed, advance, go; see move 1.

  15. To utter

    deliver, give, present; see address 2.

make is the general term meaning to bring into being and may imply the producing of something physically or mentally; form suggests a definite contour, structure, or design in the thing made; shape suggests the imparting of a specific form, as by molding, cutting, hammering, etc.; fashion implies inventiveness, cleverness of design, the use of skill, etc.; construct implies the putting of parts together systematically according to some design; manufacture implies production from raw materials, now esp. by machinery and on a large scale, and, in extended use, may suggest a mechanical or uninspired quality; fabricate implies building or manufacturing, often by assembling standardized parts, and, in extended use, connotes fictitious invention

on the make*

belligerent, desirous, lustful; see aggressive 2.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

make Usage Examples

Object

  • decision: City have toy make a decision next week whether to buy him, he must have influenced Lennie.

Noun phrase with adjective complement

  • accessible: Water level in dig dropped significantly so some time spent lowering floor to make end more accessible.

Adjective complement

  • sure: You have to make sure they don't bite you.

Followed by a transitive particle

  • up: Eight youth crisis projects were selected to make up a Positive Practice Forum.

Infinitive complement

  • ensure: DISCLAIMER Every effort has been made to ensure the information on this website is accurate and current.
make usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

make quotes

My lady, there are few more impressive sights in the world than a Scotsman on the make.

-Barrie, SirJ(ames) M(atthew)

It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me, but it can keep him from lynching me, and I think that's pretty important.

-King, Martin LutherJr

It is the maxim of every prudent master of a family never to attempt to make at home what it will cost him more to makethantobuy.Thetaylordoesnot attempttomakehis ownshoe†All ofthemfind itfor their interestto employ their whole industry in a way in which they have some advantage over their neighbours and to purchase with a part of its produce†whatever else they have occasion for† What is prudence in the conduct of every private family, can scarce be folly in that of a great kingdom† Would it be a reasonable law to prohibit the importation of all foreign wines, merely to encourage the making of claret and burgundy in Scotland?

-Smith, Adam

make quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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"make." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 4 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/make>

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make. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 4th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/make

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