make

I UK [meɪk] / US verb
Word forms "make":
present tense I/you/we/they make he/she/it makes present participle making past tense made UK [meɪd] / US past participle made
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Get it right: make:

When make means "to cause or force someone to do something" and is followed by another verb, use the infinitive without to:
Wrong: What makes them to commit crime?
Right: What makes them commit crime?
Wrong: Advertising makes us to buy a lot of unnecessary things.
Right: Advertising makes us buy a lot of unnecessary things. But when make is in the passive, use the infinitive with to: I feel the American people have been unfairly made to pay for the government's mistakes.

1) [transitive] to create or produce something by working

Jane made coffee while the guests were finishing their dessert.

She makes all her own clothes.

made in:

This furniture is made in South America.

make something from something:

They make paper from old rags.

make something out of something:

We made curtains out of some old material we found.

made (out) of something:

a bowl made of metal/plastic/wood

make someone something:

Joan made me a beautiful dress for my wedding.

make something about someone/something:

They're making a TV programme about the case.

2) [transitive] to cause something to be formed by breaking, cutting, or tearing an object or by pushing one object into or through another

make a hole/scratch/dent etc in something:

Something's made a scratch in the counter.

3)

a) [transitive] used with some nouns for showing that someone performs the action referred to by the noun

Over 340 arrests were made.

make an attempt/effort:

Helen made no attempt to stop him.

make a decision:

No one wanted to make a clear decision on the project.

make a mistake/error:

Nobody's perfect – we all make mistakes.

make progress:

We've made some progress, but there's still a long way to go.

make a change/alteration/adjustment etc:

People can eat more healthily without making major changes to their diet.

make a contribution:

This study makes an outstanding contribution to our understanding of the disease.

make a noise/sound:

Stop making so much noise!

make a note of something (= keep a written record of something):

Matthew made a note of the car's number and informed the police.

b) used with some nouns for showing that someone says something

make a statement/suggestion/complaint etc:

The minister will make a statement on that issue later today.

4) [transitive] to cause someone or something to be in a particular state or to change to another state

make someone do something:

This film always makes me cry.

make yourself heard/understood etc:

I know enough Japanese to make myself understood.

make something difficult/easy etc:

The noise in the school makes learning difficult.

make someone feel ill/sad/strange etc:

The smell of fish makes me feel ill.

make someone look fat/thin/younger etc:

That haircut makes you look ten years younger.

make someone happy/sad/angry etc:

Listening to the news just makes me angry these days.

make something nice/pretty/attractive etc:

I want to make the place nice for when they arrive.

make someone famous/popular etc:

It was television that made her so popular.

make it clear/obvious/plain etc (that):

I'd like to make it clear that I had nothing to do with this.

make it known/understood (that):

She made it known that she was the mayor's wife.

make someone something:

They made him head teacher after Joanne left.

5) [transitive] to force someone to do something

I'm not going to apologize and you can't make me!

make someone do something:

They made us work for 12 hours a day.

They made him tell the truth by depriving him of food.

be made to do something:

We were made to learn fifty new words every week.

6) [transitive] to arrange or organize something

make an appointment/date:

I've made an appointment for you with the doctor for tomorrow morning.

7) [transitive] to earn or get money

She makes about £2,000 a month.

make money:

You can make a lot of money playing the stock market.

make a living (= make enough money to buy the things that you need):

Can you make a living from painting?

make a profit:

The company made a small profit in its first year.

8)

a) [linking verb] to give a particular total when added together

Four and two make six.

b) [transitive] to decide that something gives a particular total when calculating an amount

I make that £750 after tax.

9) [transitive] to cause something to be successful

It was the children's choir that really made the performance.

10) [linking verb] to have the right qualities for a particular job, purpose etc

Diane would make a good teacher – she's so patient.

Don't you think the novel would make a great film?

11)

a) [transitive] to reach a particular place, especially so that there is time to do something

At this rate we won't make Jedda before midnight.

Dan just managed to make his 7 o'clock flight to Toronto.

b) to be able to be present at a particular event

We can't make the conference after all.

12) [transitive] to succeed in achieving something by reaching the necessary level or standard

We've made our target of 10,000 sales this month.

make a deadline:

They'll never make the deadline now that the computers have crashed.

make the headlines/papers/news etc (= be important enough to be reported):

Their search for a heart donor made the headlines in April.

make a team/squad (= be chosen for it):

Dawson has failed to make the team for Saturday's big match.

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make do (with/without something) — to succeed in dealing with a situation by using what is available/despite not having something

There wasn't much food, but we made do.

make it 5 o'clock/7.30 etc — British

spoken to decide that it is a particular time by looking at your watch

"What time is it?" "I make it 5 o'clock."

make a (phone) call — to telephone someone

Do you mind if I just make a quick phone call?

make time (for) — to find time to do something or be with someone in spite of being busy

He's finding it difficult to make time for his children.

make way (for) — to move away so that someone or something can get past you; to be replaced by someone or something

We were asked to make way for the bride and groom.

Most of the old buildings have made way for hotels and offices.

- it makes a change

- make as if to do something

- make a bed

- make believe

- make a difference

- make it

- make it big

- make it through something

- make it with someone

- make like

- make or break

- make your way

Phrasal verbs:

- make after

- make away with

- make for

- make into

- make of

- make off

- make off with

- make out

- make over

- make towards

- make up

- make up for

- make up to

II UK [meɪk] / US noun [countable]
Word forms "make":
singular make plural makes
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a product made by a particular company

What make is your computer?

make of:

a very popular make of car

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- on the make