English Dictionary

Definition of “making”

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making (ˈmeɪkɪŋPronunciation for making) 

Definitions

noun

    1. the act of a person or thing that makes or the process of being made
    2. ((in combination)  ⇒ watchmaking 
  2. See be the making of
  3. See in the making
  4. something made or the quantity of something made at one time
  5. make-up; composition

mak (mækPronunciation for mak) 

Definitions

verb

  1. a Scot word for make1

1make1 (meɪkPronunciation for make1) 

Definitions

verb

Word forms: makes, making, made
(mainly tr)
  1. to bring into being by shaping, changing, or combining materials, ideas, etc; form or fashion; create  ⇒ to make a chair from bits of wood make a poem 
  2. to draw up, establish, or form  ⇒ to make a decision make one's will 
  3. to cause to exist, bring about, or produce  ⇒ don't make a noise 
  4. to cause, compel, or induce  ⇒ please make him go away 
  5. to appoint or assign, as to a rank or position  ⇒ they made him chairman 
  6. to constitute  ⇒ one swallow doesn't make a summer 
  7. (also intr) to come or cause to come into a specified state or condition  ⇒ to make merry make someone happy 
  8. (copula) to be or become through development  ⇒ he will make a good teacher 
  9. to cause or ensure the success of  ⇒ your news has made my day 
  10. to amount to  ⇒ twelve inches make a foot 
  11. to be part of or a member of  ⇒ did she make one of the party? 
  12. to serve as or be suitable for  ⇒ that piece of cloth will make a coat 
  13. to prepare or put into a fit condition for use  ⇒ to make a bed 
  14. to be the essential element in or part of  ⇒ charm makes a good salesman 
  15. to carry out, effect, or do  ⇒ to make a gesture 
  16. (intr; foll by to, as if to, or as though to) to act with the intention or with a show of doing something  ⇒ they made to go out he made as if to hit her 
  17. to use for a specified purpose  ⇒ I will make this town my base 
  18. to deliver or pronounce  ⇒ to make a speech 
  19. to judge, reckon, or give one's own opinion or information as to  ⇒ what time do you make it? 
  20. to cause to seem or represent as being  ⇒ that furniture makes the room look dark 
  21. to earn, acquire, or win for oneself  ⇒ to make friends make a fortune 
  22. to engage in  ⇒ make love not war 
  23. to traverse or cover (distance) by travelling  ⇒ we can make a hundred miles by nightfall 
  24. to arrive in time for  ⇒ he didn't make the first act of the play 
  25. cards 
    1. to win a trick with (a specified card)
    2. to shuffle (the cards)
    3. bridge to fulfil (a contract) by winning the necessary number of tricks
  26. cricket to score (runs)
  27. electronics to close (a circuit) permitting a flow of current Compare break (sense 44)
  28. (intr) to increase in depth  ⇒ the water in the hold was making a foot a minute 
  29. (intr) (of hay) to dry and mature
  30. informal to gain a place or position on or in  ⇒ to make the headlines make the first team 
  31. informal to achieve the rank of
  32. slang to seduce
  33. See make a book
  34. See make a day of it
  35. See make a night of it
  36. See make do
  37. See make eyes at
  38. See make good
  39. See make heavy weather
  40. See make heavy weather of something
  41. See make it
  42. See make like
  43. See make love
  44. See make love to someone
  45. See make or break
  46. See make time
  47. See make water

noun

  1. brand, type, or style  ⇒ what make of car is that? 
  2. the manner or way in which something is made
  3. disposition or character; make-up
  4. the act or process of making
  5. the amount or number made
  6. bridge the contract to be played
  7. cards a player's turn to shuffle
  8. See on the make

See also

make after , make away , make for , make of , make off , make out , make over , make-up , make with

Alternative Forms

ˈmakable adjective

Word Origin

Old English macian;  related to Old Frisian makia  to construct, Dutch maken,  German machen to make

Synonyms

View thesaurus entry
= produce, cause, create, effect, lead to occasion, generate, bring about, give rise to, engender, beget,
= perform, do, act out, effect, carry out, engage in, execute, prosecute,
= reach, come to, establish, conclude, seal, settle on, determine on,
= give, deliver, pronounce, utter, recite,
= score, gain, amass, win, notch up, chalk up,
= force, cause, press, compel, drive, require, oblige, induce, railroad, constrain, coerce, impel, dragoon, pressurize, prevail upon
= appoint, name, select, elect, invest, install, nominate, assign, designate, hire as cast as employ as ordain, vote in as recruit as engage as enlist as
= create, build, produce, manufacture, form, model, fashion, shape, frame, construct, assemble, compose, forge, mould, put together, originate, fabricate,
= prepare, cook, put together, get ready, whip up, concoct, throw together, dish up, fix, jack up,
= compile, write, produce, draft, pen, compose, draw up, formulate,
= enact, form, pass, establish, fix, institute, frame, devise, lay down, draw up,
= earn, get, gain, net, win, clear, secure, realize, obtain, acquire, bring in, take in, fetch,
= be, become, form, represent, serve as come to be embody, develop into grow into, act as function as
= amount to, total, constitute, add up to, count as tot up to
= gain a place in achieve a place in get into, attain a place in
= get to, reach, catch, arrive at, meet, arrive in time for
= calculate, judge, estimate, determine, think, suppose, reckon, work out, compute, gauge, count up, put a figure on
= brand, sort, style, model, build, form, mark, kind, type, variety, construction, marque,
= nature, character, make-up, stamp, humour, temper, kidney, temperament, disposition, frame of mind, cast of mind,
= structure, cut, character, shape, make-up, constitution, composition, designation,

Quotations

  • "God has given you one face, and you make yourselves another" William Shakespeare
  • "Most women are not so young as they are painted" Max Beerbohm

Usage examples

  • Mr Miller is also making a concerted effort to corner a new market: young professionals.
    Country Life (2004)
  • Indeed, with only Arsenal's fans making any noise the atmosphere was, for the home team, more suited to a practice match.
    Irish Times (2002)
  • We will just have to find new ways of making it difficult for ourselves.
    Glasgow Herald (2001)
  • A year later, Arndell returned to Susanna and fathered more children ( making a total of eight, though many died).
    Jim Leavesley, George Biro, THE MEDICAL MYSTERIES E-OMNIBUS (2001)

Commonness

All English words that begin with 'M'

Related Terms

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