make
make Lexical Profile
make Game Scores & Validity
• verb
To form, construct, or produce something by combining materials, assembling parts, or applying skill.
"The carpenter used reclaimed walnut wood to make a custom dining table."
To cause someone or something to be, become, or appear in a specified state or condition.
"The unexpected support from her colleagues made her much more confident about the presentation."
To compel, force, or induce someone to perform a particular action.
"The strict auditor made the department revise the entire financial report before Friday."
To earn, acquire, or amass a sum of money, profit, or livelihood through work or investment.
"The software startup managed to make a substantial profit during its second year of operation."
To succeed in reaching a destination, arriving in time for an event, or achieving a place on a team or list.
"If we leave now, we should easily make the last train back to the city."
• noun
The manufacturer, brand, or specific trade origin of a commercial product, especially a motor vehicle or piece of machinery.
"The mechanic asked for the make and model of the car before ordering the replacement parts."
The physical structure, manner of construction, or overall build and constitution of a person or thing.
"The antique cabinet was of sturdy oak make, allowing it to survive centuries of daily use."
Word Nuance & Usage
English learners frequently confuse 'make' and 'do'; generally, 'make' emphasizes creating, producing, or constructing a tangible or newly formed result (e.g., make a cake, make a decision), whereas 'do' focuses on performing an ongoing action, task, or obligation (e.g., do homework, do chores). As a causative verb, 'make' in the active voice is followed by a bare infinitive without 'to' (e.g., 'She made him apologize'), but requires 'to' in the passive voice (e.g., 'He was made to apologize').
• Rhymes for make
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from Old English 'macian' ('to give being to, form, construct, or produce'), from Proto-Germanic '*makōną' ('to fashion, fit, or make right'), which is also the root of the word 'match'.