make
A1Neutral (used in all registers, from casual to formal)
Definition
Meaning
To create, construct, produce, or cause something to exist or happen.
A highly polysemous verb and noun with over a dozen common senses, including: to force or cause an action/state; to constitute or amount to; to earn or acquire; to prepare or arrange; to behave in a specified way; to achieve or reach; to cause to be successful. As a noun: a brand or type of manufactured product; the way something is constructed.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
One of the most common and semantically versatile verbs in English. Its meaning is highly dependent on collocates and syntactic patterns. It often implies agency and creation, but in phrasal verbs and idioms, it can cover obligation, movement, success, and understanding.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minor. 'Make a meal of' (BrE: to overcomplicate; AmE: less common). In recipes, BrE uses 'make a cake', AmE can also use 'bake a cake'. Noun use for 'brand' (e.g., 'a make of car') is slightly more formal in AmE, which prefers 'brand'.
Connotations
Largely identical. The noun 'make' (as in brand) can sound slightly more technical or dated in AmE.
Frequency
Equally high frequency in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
make + NP (make tea)make + NP + NP (make him a captain)make + NP + Adj (make it clear)make + NP + Inf (make him leave)make + NP + PP (make it into a film)make + for + NP (make for the exit)make + of + NP (What do you make of it?)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “make ends meet”
- “make up one's mind”
- “make do and mend”
- “make or break”
- “make a mountain out of a molehill”
- “make head or tail of”
- “make hay while the sun shines”
- “make a beeline for”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used for profits, decisions, deals, acquisitions, and manufacturing (e.g., 'make a bid', 'make a quarterly target').
Academic
Used in arguments and analyses (e.g., 'make a case', 'make a distinction', 'make an observation').
Everyday
Ubiquitous for daily tasks, food, plans, and social interactions (e.g., 'make dinner', 'make plans', 'make a friend').
Technical
In engineering/computing: to compile source code (e.g., 'make a build'), to manufacture components.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- Could you make us a pot of tea?
- The committee will make its decision next week.
- He didn't make the train, so he had to get a taxi.
American English
- I'll make us some coffee.
- The scandal could make or break his political career.
- We need to make a reservation for eight.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I make breakfast every morning.
- She makes toys from wood.
- Can you make a simple drawing?
- This new evidence could make a difference to the case.
- He made a terrible mistake by not checking the contract.
- We need to make plans for the summer holidays.
- The director made several pointed criticisms of the government's policy.
- Her tireless work made her a respected figure in the field.
- I can't make out what the sign says in this fog.
- The novel's ambiguous ending allows readers to make of it what they will.
- His apology was so half-hearted that it made matters worse.
- The company is poised to make a strategic acquisition in the Asian market.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a baker MAKing a cake – the core act of creation. The letters M-A-K-E can stand for 'Manufacture And Kindle Existence'.
Conceptual Metaphor
CREATION IS BUILDING (make a theory, make a life); CAUSATION IS FORCING (make someone happy, make them wait); ACHIEVEMENT IS REACHING A DESTINATION (make it to the top).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Confusing 'make' with 'do' (both translate to 'делать' in many contexts). Rule of thumb: 'make' implies creating something new or causing a change, 'do' implies performing an activity or task.
- Overusing 'make' for abstract actions where a more specific verb is better (e.g., 'take a decision' vs. 'make a decision' – both exist, but 'make' is more common).
- Literal translation of 'make friends' (подружиться) is correct, but 'make a photo' is wrong (must be 'take a photo').
Common Mistakes
- *I made my homework. (Correct: I did my homework.)
- *She made a party. (Correct: She had/threw a party.)
- *He made me to go. (Correct: He made me go. - bare infinitive after 'make' in active voice)
- *What is your make of car? (Correct but dated/formal. More common: What brand/make is your car? or What's the make and model?)
Practice
Quiz
In the sentence 'The noise made it impossible to concentrate,' what is the syntactic function of 'it'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Make' generally means to create, construct, or cause something new. 'Do' generally means to perform an activity, task, or duty. Compare: 'make a cake' (create it) vs. 'do the baking' (perform the activity).
In the active voice with a causative meaning (make someone do something), yes, it's followed by the bare infinitive. In the passive voice (be made to do something), it's followed by the full infinitive with 'to'.
Yes, primarily to mean the brand or type of a product, especially vehicles (e.g., 'a popular make of smartphone'). It can also mean the physical construction or nature of something (e.g., 'the make of his face').
No. 'Make up' (verb phrase) means to reconcile, invent, or compose. 'Make-up' (noun, often hyphenated) refers to cosmetics or the composition of something.
Collections
Part of a collection
Daily Verbs
A1 · 50 words · Essential action words used in everyday conversation.