making
A1Neutral, used across all registers from informal to formal.
Definition
Meaning
The action or process of forming, creating, or producing something.
The means or potential for achieving success or becoming something (e.g., 'has the makings of'), or a brand name/factory-produced version of something.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
As a gerund/verbal noun, it denotes the process or activity. In phrases like 'in the making', it indicates ongoing development. In 'makings of', it refers to essential qualities.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant semantic differences. Minor spelling preferences in derived compounds (e.g., 'make' vs. 'makeup').
Connotations
Equally neutral in both dialects.
Frequency
Extremely high and comparable frequency in both corpuses.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[make] + [NP] (making a cake)[make] + [NP] + [AdjP] (making it clear)[make] + [NP] + [NP] (making her a manager)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “be the making of someone”
- “in the making”
- “of one's own making”
- “have the makings of”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Refers to profit generation, decision processes, and product manufacturing.
Academic
Used in discussions of identity formation, meaning construction, or historical processes.
Everyday
Commonly used for cooking, crafting, and causing states or feelings.
Technical
In engineering/manufacturing: the physical production process.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- She is making a cup of tea.
- The committee is making a decision tomorrow.
- That film is making a huge profit.
American English
- He's making a salad for the potluck.
- The new policy is making a big difference.
- She's making good money in her new job.
adverb
British English
- This is a making-by-hand workshop.
- No specific common adverbial use.
American English
- No specific common adverbial use.
- No specific common adverbial use.
adjective
British English
- The making process is fully automated.
- We studied decision-making models.
American English
- The making-of documentary was fascinating.
- He works in the trouble-making department.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I am making a sandwich.
- She is making a drawing.
- Making friends is important.
- The company is making a lot of changes this year.
- He apologized for making a mistake.
- This experience was the making of him as a leader.
- The intricate making of this watch involves hundreds of tiny parts.
- Her stubbornness is of her own making; she refused all advice.
- The documentary explored the making of the iconic film.
- His ruthless decision-making in the crisis ultimately saved the firm.
- The geopolitical tensions were decades in the making.
- She has the makings of a truly exceptional surgeon.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a baker MAKING a KING's cake. The sounds 'MAKE' and 'KING' combine to form 'MAKING'.
Conceptual Metaphor
CREATING IS BUILDING (making a career), CAUSING IS MAKING (making someone happy), BECOMING IS BEING MADE (a star in the making).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid confusing with 'doing' ('делать'). 'Making' implies creation or causation of a new state, not just performing an action.
- In phrases like 'make a decision', translate as 'принимать решение', not 'делать решение'.
- The noun 'making' (e.g., 'the making of') is often translated as 'создание', 'производство', or 'становление' depending on context.
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect: 'I am making my homework.' (Correct: 'I am doing my homework.')
- Incorrect: 'She is making a party.' (Correct: 'She is having/ throwing a party.')
- Incorrect: 'He made me to do it.' (Correct: 'He made me do it.' - bare infinitive after 'make').
Practice
Quiz
In the phrase 'a disaster of his own making', what does 'making' mean?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is primarily the present participle and gerund (verbal noun) of the verb 'make'. It functions as a verb in continuous tenses ('is making') and as a noun ('the making of').
'Doing' refers to performing an activity or task. 'Making' implies creating, constructing, or causing something new to exist or a new state to occur. You *do* homework, a job, or exercise. You *make* a cake, a plan, or someone happy.
Yes, in compound adjectives (hyphenated) like 'decision-making', 'profit-making', or in phrases like 'the making process'. It is not a standalone adjective.
It means 'in the process of being formed or developed'. Example: 'The new policy is a revolution in the making.' It suggests something significant is developing and will be completed soon.