- to bring into existence by shaping or changing material, combining parts, etc.: to make a dress; to make a channel; to make a work of art.
- to produce; cause to exist or happen; bring about: to make trouble; to make war.
- to cause to be or become; render: to make someone happy.
- to appoint or name: The president made her his special envoy.
- to put in the proper condition or state, as for use; fix; prepare: to make a bed; to make dinner.
- to bring into a certain form: to make bricks out of clay.
- to convert from one state, condition, category, etc., to another: to make a virtue of one's vices.
- to cause, induce, or compel: to make a horse jump a barrier.
- to give rise to; occasion: It's not worth making a fuss over such a trifle.
- to produce, earn, or win for oneself: to make a good salary; to make one's fortune in oil.
- to write or compose: to make a short poem for the occasion.
- to draw up, as a legal document; draft: to make a will.
- to do; effect: to make a bargain.
- to establish or enact; put into existence: to make laws.
- to become by development; prove to be: You'll make a good lawyer.
- to form in the mind, as a judgment or estimate: to make a decision.
- to judge or interpret, as to the truth, nature, meaning, etc. (often followed by of): What do you make of it?
- to estimate; reckon: to make the distance at ten miles.
- to bring together separate parts so as to produce a whole; compose; form: to make a matched set.
- to amount to; bring up the total to: Two plus two makes four. That makes an even dozen.
- to serve as: to make good reading.
- to be sufficient to constitute: One story does not make a writer.
- to be adequate or suitable for: This wool will make a warm sweater.
- to assure the success or fortune of: a deal that could make or break him; Seeing her made my day.
- to deliver, utter, or put forth: to make a stirring speech.
- to go or travel at a particular speed: to make 60 miles an hour.
- to arrive at or reach; attain: The ship made port on Friday. Do you think he'll make 80?
- to arrive in time for: to make the first show.
- to arrive in time to be a passenger on (a plane, boat, bus, train, etc.): If you hurry, you can make the next flight.
- to gain or acquire a position within: He made the big time.
- to receive mention or appear in or on: The robbery made the front page.
- to gain recognition or honor by winning a place or being chosen for inclusion in or on: The novel made the bestseller list. He made the all-American team three years in a row.
- to have sexual intercourse with.
- Cards.
- to name (the trump).
- to take a trick with (a card).
- to fulfill or achieve (a contract or bid).
- to shuffle (the cards).
- to earn, as a score: The team made 40 points in the first half.
- Slang. (especially in police and underworld use)
- to recognize or identify: Any cop in town will make you as soon as you walk down the street.
- to charge or cause to be charged with a crime: The police expect to make a couple of suspects soon.
- to close (an electric circuit).
- to plant and cultivate or produce (a crop): He makes some of the best corn in the country.
- to cause oneself, or something understood, to be as specified: to make sure.
- to show oneself to be or seem in action or behavior (usually followed by an adjective): to make merry.
- to be made, as specified: This fabric makes up into beautiful drapes.
- to move or proceed in a particular direction: They made after the thief.
- to rise, as the tide or water in a ship.
- (of a crop) to grow, develop, or mature: It looks like the corn's going to make pretty good this year.
- to rain or snow: It's making down hard.
- to fasten or secure.
- to close: Make the door shut.
- the style or manner in which something is made; form; build.
- production with reference to the manufacturer; brand: our own make.
- disposition; character; nature.
- the act or process of making.
- quantity made; output.
- the act of naming the trump, or the suit named as trump.
- the closing of an electric circuit.
- the excellence of a polished diamond with regard to proportion, symmetry, and finish.
- identifying information about a person or thing from police records: He radioed headquarters for a make on the car's license plate.
- make out,
- to write out or complete, as a bill or check.
- to establish; prove.
- to decipher; discern.
- to imply, suggest, or impute: He made me out to be a liar.
- to manage; succeed: How are you making out in your new job?
- to engage in kissing and caressing; neck.
- to have sexual intercourse.
- to turn off or extinguish (especially a light or fire): Make the light out.
- make over,
- to remodel; alter: to make over a dress; to make over a page layout.
- to transfer the title of (property); convey: After she retired she made over her property to her children and moved to Florida.
- make for,
- to go toward; approach: to make for home.
- to lunge at; attack.
- to help to promote or maintain: This incident will not make for better understanding between the warring factions.
- make off,
- to run away; depart hastily: The only witness to the accident made off before the police arrived.
- to stand off from a coast, especially a lee shore.
- to carry away; steal: While the family was away, thieves made off with most of their valuables.
- to turn on, light, or ignite (especially a light or fire): Make the light on.
- make up,
- (of parts) to constitute; compose; form.
- to put together; construct; compile.
- to concoct; invent.
- to compensate for; make good.
- to complete.
- to put in order; arrange: The maid will make up the room.
- to conclude; decide.
- to settle amicably, as differences.
- to become reconciled, as after a quarrel.
- to arrange set type, illustrations, etc., into columns or pages.
- to dress in appropriate costume and apply cosmetics for a part on the stage.
- to apply cosmetics.
- to adjust or balance, as accounts; prepare, as statements.
- to repeat (a course or examination that one has failed).
- to take an examination that one had been unable to take when first given, usually because of absence.
- to specify and indicate the layout or arrangement of (columns, pages, etc., of matter to be printed).
- (of the weather or clouds) to develop or gather: It's making up for a storm.
- (of the sea) to become turbulent: If the sea makes up, row toward land.
- make up to,
- to try to become friendly with; fawn on.
- to make advances to; flirt with: He makes up to every new woman in the office.
- to try to get: He made a play for his brother's girlfriend. They made a play for control of the company's stock.
- to act as if; pretend: We will make as if to leave, then come back and surprise him.
- make away with,
- to steal: The clerk made away with the cash and checks.
- to destroy; kill: He made away with his enemies.
- to get rid of.
- to consume, drink, or eat completely: The boys made away with the contents of the refrigerator.
- to pretend; imagine: The little girl dressed in a sheet and made believe she was a ghost.
- to have the temerity; be so rash; dare: May I make so bold as to suggest that you stand when they enter?
- make book, Slang.
- to take bets and give odds.
- to make a business of this.
- to hoist an ensign, as on board a warship.
- to function, manage, or operate, usually on a deprivation level with minimal requirements: During the war we had no butter or coffee, so we had to make do without them.
- make good,
- to provide restitution or reparation for: The bank teller made good the shortage and was given a light sentence.
- to succeed: Talent and training are necessary to make good in some fields.
- to fulfill: He made good on his promise.
- to compute (a course) allowing for leeway and compass deviation.
- make heavy weather,
- to roll and pitch in heavy seas.
- to progress laboriously; struggle, especially to struggle needlessly: I am making heavy weather with my income tax return.
- make it,
- to achieve a specific goal: to make it to the train; to make it through college.
- to succeed in general: He'll never make it in business.
- to have sexual intercourse.
- strike the ship's bell accordingly: said by the officer of the watch when the hour is announced.
- to try or pretend to be like; imitate: I'm going to go out and make like a gardener.
- make one's manners, Southern U.S.
- to perform an appropriate or expected social courtesy.
- to bow or curtsy.
- make sail, Nautical.
- to set sails.
- to brace the yards of a ship that has been hove to in order to make headway.
- time (def. 52).
- make water,
- to urinate.
- (of a hull) to leak.
- make with, Slang.
- to operate; use: Let's make with the feet.
- to bring about; provide or produce: He makes with the big ideas, but can't follow through.
- on the make, Informal.
- seeking to improve one's social or financial position, usually at the expense of others or of principle.
- increasing; advancing.
- seeking amorous or sexual relations: The park was swarming with sailors on the make.
- to make sexual overtures to.
- a peer or equal.
- a spouse, mate, consort, or lover.
- a friend; companion.
- to bring into being by shaping, changing, or combining materials, ideas, etc; form or fashion; create
- to draw up, establish, or form
- to cause to exist, bring about, or produce
- to cause, compel, or induce
- to appoint or assign, as to a rank or position
- to constitute
- to come or cause to come into a specified state or condition
- to be or become through development
- to cause or ensure the success of
- to amount to
- to be part of or a member of
- to serve as or be suitable for
- to prepare or put into a fit condition for use
- to be the essential element in or part of
- to carry out, effect, or do
- to act with the intention or with a show of doing something
- to use for a specified purpose
- to deliver or pronounce
- to judge, reckon, or give one's own opinion or information as to
- to cause to seem or represent as being
- to earn, acquire, or win for oneself
- to engage in
- to traverse or cover (distance) by travelling
- to arrive in time for
- cards
- to win a trick with (a specified card)
- to shuffle (the cards)
- to fulfil (a contract) by winning the necessary number of tricks
- to score (runs)
- to close (a circuit) permitting a flow of current
- to increase in depth
- (of hay) to dry and mature
- to gain a place or position on or in
- to achieve the rank of
- to seduce
- to take bets on a race or other contest
- to cause an activity to last a day
- to cause an activity to last a night
- make do See do 1 (def. 37)
- to flirt with or ogle
- make good See good (def. 44)
- to roll and pitch in heavy seas
- to carry something out with great difficulty or unnecessarily great effort
- make it
- to be successful in doing something
- to have sexual intercourse
- to inject a narcotic drug
- to imitate
- make love
- to have sexual intercourse
- to engage in courtship
- make love to someone
- to have sexual intercourse with someone
- to engage in courtship with someone
- to bring success or ruin
- make time See time (def. 45)
- make water
- another term for urinate
- (of a boat, hull, etc) to let in water
- brand, type, or style
- the manner or way in which something is made
- disposition or character; make-up
- the act or process of making
- the amount or number made
- the contract to be played
- a player's turn to shuffle
- on the make
- out for profit or conquest
- in search of a sexual partner
- a peer or consort
- a mate or spouse
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