Make — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

Make (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

1. to bring into being by combining, shaping, or transforming materials

   "will you help me make the dough for the cookies?"

   similar: fabricate, fashion, form, frame, manufacture, produce, put together
   related: assemble, build, construct, erect, make up, put up, raise, rear, set up, structure, throw up, craft, handcraft, hew, forge, mold, shape, cobble (together or up), knock out, patch (together), prefabricate, create, invent, mint, originate, establish, father, institute, organize, concoct, contrive, cook (up), design, devise, imagine, think (up), conceive, envisage, picture, visualize, refashion, remake, remanufacture
   near: disassemble, dismantle, take apart, break up, dismember, abolish, annihilate, demolish, destroy, devastate, eradicate, exterminate, extinguish, flatten, pulverize, raze, ruin, shatter, smash, wreck, blow up, explode

2. to obtain (as a goal) through effort

   "we finally made it!"

   similar: achieve, attain, bag, chalk up, clock (up) (chiefly British), gain, hit, log, notch (up), rack up, ring up, score, win
   related: acquire, capture, carry, draw, garner, get, land, obtain, procure, realize, secure, amount (to), approach, equal, match, measure up (to), meet, rival, tie, touch, beat, excel, outdo, surpass, top
   near: fall short (of), miss, fail (at), lose

3. to be the cause of (a situation, action, or state of mind)

   "the cats made quite a disturbance when they knocked the Christmas tree over"

   similar: beget, breed, bring, bring about, bring on, catalyze, cause, create, do, draw on, effect, effectuate, engender, generate, induce, invoke, occasion, produce, prompt, result (in), spawn, translate (into), work, yield, bring forth, give rise to
   related: conduce (to), contribute (to), decide, determine, begin, establish, father, found, inaugurate, initiate, innovate, institute, introduce, launch, pioneer, set, set up, start, advance, cultivate, develop, encourage, forward, foster, further, nourish, nurture, promote, enact, render, turn out
   near: impede, limit, restrict, clamp down (on), crack down (on), crush, dampen, put down, quash, quell, repress, smother, squash, squelch, stifle, subdue, suppress, arrest, check, control, curb, inhibit, rein (in), restrain, retard, can (slang), kill, snuff (out), still, abolish, demolish, destroy, extinguish, liquidate, quench

4. to carry through (as a process) to completion

   "one person from each department will be asked to make a short presentation at the meeting"

   similar: accomplish, achieve, bring off, carry off, carry out, commit, compass, do, execute, follow through (with), fulfill, negotiate, perform, perpetrate, prosecute, pull off, put through, go through
   related: bring about, effect, effectuate, implement, ace, nail, engage (in), practice, work (at), reduplicate, reenact, repeat, actualize, attain, realize, complete, end, finish, wind up
   near: fail, skimp, slight, slur

5. to cause (a person) to give in to pressure

   "made him do all the work while everyone else just lounged around"

   similar: blackjack, coerce, compel, constrain, dragoon, drive, force, impel, impress, muscle, obligate, oblige, press, pressure, sandbag, twist one's arm
   related: browbeat, bulldoze, bully, cow, hector, intimidate, blackmail, high-pressure, menace, shame, terrorize, threaten, drag, badger, harass, hound
   near: allow, let, permit, argue, convince, induce, move, persuade, prevail (on or upon), satisfy, talk (into), win (over)

6. to decide the size, amount, number, or distance of (something) without actual measurement

   "I make that to be about six feet long"

   similar: calculate, call, conjecture, estimate, figure, gauge, guess, judge, place, put, reckon, suppose
   related: conclude, deduce, extrapolate, gather, infer, reason, understand
   near: calibrate, measure, scale, compute, work out

7. to form by putting together parts or materials

   "make a model airplane"

   similar: assemble, build, confect, construct, erect, fabricate, make up, piece, put up, raise, rear, set up, put together
   related: carpenter, fashion, forge, frame, hammer, handcraft, manufacture, mold, produce, shape, prefabricate, begin, coin, create, generate, inaugurate, initiate, innovate, invent, originate, constitute, establish, father, found, institute, organize, conceive, concoct, contrive, cook (up), design, devise, imagine, think (up), reassemble, rebuild, reconstruct, redevelop, reedify (British), retrofit, jerry-build, rig (up), throw up, combine, unite
   opposite: demount, disassemble, dismantle, dismember, knock down, strike, take down, tear down
   near: demolish, destroy, devastate, flatten, level, pull down, pulverize, raze, ruin, ruinate, shatter, smash, wreck, blow up, explode, detach, disengage, disconnect, disjoin, disunite, divide, separate

8. to give the impression of being

   "the family made merry despite their financial worries"

   similar: act, appear, come across (as), come off (as), feel, look, seem, sound
   related: dissemble, pretend, recall, resemble, suggest, hint, imply, insinuate

9. to go on a specified course or in a certain direction

   "the baby made straight for the toy lying on the rug"

   similar: bear, head
   related: aim, bend, direct, point, turn, beeline, light out, put, put out, set off, set out, strike, take off, face, orient, steer, about-face, back, come about, come round, cut, incline, put about, reverse, swerve, tack, turn back, veer, wheel, yaw

10. to put into effect through legislative or authoritative action

    "the legislature failed to make any new laws last session"

    similar: constitute, enact, lay down, legislate, ordain, pass
    related: reenact, repass, bring about, effect, allow, authorize, permit, sanction, decree, dictate, proclaim, administer, execute, approve, confirm, ratify
    opposite: repeal, rescind, revoke
    near: abolish, abrogate, annul, cancel, invalidate, kill, nullify, overturn, reverse, void

11. to receive as return for effort

    "I make considerably more money now than I did when I first started working here"

    similar: acquire, attain, bag, bring in, capture, carry, come by, draw, earn, gain, garner, get, knock down, land, obtain, procure, pull down, realize, reap, secure, win
    related: clear, gross, net, accomplish, achieve, notch (up), score, accumulate, amass, rack up, catch, pick up, annex, occupy, take over, reacquire, reattain, recapture, regain, remake
    opposite: forfeit, lose
    near: accord, give, grant, pay, give up, hand over, part (with), relinquish, surrender, yield

12. to have a clear idea of

    "what do you make of the latest information?"

    similar: appreciate, apprehend, assimilate, behold, catch, catch on (to), cognize, compass, comprehend, conceive, cotton (to or on to), decipher, decode, dig, discern, get, grasp, grok, intuit, know, make out, perceive, recognize, register, savvy, see, seize, sense, tumble (to), twig, understand, pick up on
    related: absorb, digest, take in, realize, fathom, penetrate, pierce
    opposite: miss
    near: misapprehend, misconceive, misconstrue, misinterpret, misperceive, misread, mistake, misunderstand

13. to position (something) so as to prevent passage through an opening

    "make the gate when ye leave"

    similar: close, shut, steek (chiefly Scottish)
    related: bar, batten (down), bolt, chain, fasten, latch, lock, plug, seal, stopper, secure, bang, clap, slam
    opposite: open
    near: unbar, unbolt, unchain, unfasten, unlatch, unlock, unseal