make-do

[ meyk-doo ]

/ ˈmeɪkˌdu /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR make-do ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural make-dos.

something that serves as a substitute, especially of an inferior or expedient nature: We had to get along with make-dos during the war.

adjective

used as a substitute; makeshift: make-do curtains.

Origin of make-do

First recorded in 1890–95

Words nearby make-do

make whoopee, make with, make-ahead, make-and-break, make-believe, make-do, make-or-break, make-peace, make-ready, make-up, make-work

Definition for make do (2 of 3)

make ¹

[ meyk ]

/ meɪk /

verb (used with object), made, mak·ing.

to bring into existence by shaping or changing material, combining parts, etc.: to make a dress; to make a channel; to make a work of art.

to produce; cause to exist or happen; bring about: to make trouble; to make war.

to cause to be or become; render: to make someone happy.

to appoint or name: The president made her his special envoy.

to put in the proper condition or state, as for use; fix; prepare: to make a bed; to make dinner.

to bring into a certain form: to make bricks out of clay.

to convert from one state, condition, category, etc., to another: to make a virtue of one's vices.

to cause, induce, or compel: to make a horse jump a barrier.

to give rise to; occasion: It's not worth making a fuss over such a trifle.

to produce, earn, or win for oneself: to make a good salary; to make one's fortune in oil.

to write or compose: to make a short poem for the occasion.

to draw up, as a legal document; draft: to make a will.

to do; effect: to make a bargain.

to establish or enact; put into existence: to make laws.

to become by development; prove to be: You'll make a good lawyer.

to form in the mind, as a judgment or estimate: to make a decision.

to judge or interpret, as to the truth, nature, meaning, etc. (often followed by of): What do you make of it?

to estimate; reckon: to make the distance at ten miles.

to bring together separate parts so as to produce a whole; compose; form: to make a matched set.

to amount to; bring up the total to: Two plus two makes four. That makes an even dozen.

to serve as: to make good reading.

to be sufficient to constitute: One story does not make a writer.

to be adequate or suitable for: This wool will make a warm sweater.

to assure the success or fortune of: a deal that could make or break him; Seeing her made my day.

to deliver, utter, or put forth: to make a stirring speech.

to go or travel at a particular speed: to make 60 miles an hour.

to arrive at or reach; attain: The ship made port on Friday. Do you think he'll make 80?

to arrive in time for: to make the first show.

to arrive in time to be a passenger on (a plane, boat, bus, train, etc.): If you hurry, you can make the next flight.

Informal. to gain or acquire a position within: He made the big time.

to receive mention or appear in or on: The robbery made the front page.

to gain recognition or honor by winning a place or being chosen for inclusion in or on: The novel made the bestseller list. He made the all-American team three years in a row.

Slang. to have sexual intercourse with.

Cards.

to name (the trump).
to take a trick with (a card).
Bridge. to fulfill or achieve (a contract or bid).
to shuffle (the cards).

to earn, as a score: The team made 40 points in the first half.

Slang. (especially in police and underworld use)

to recognize or identify: Any cop in town will make you as soon as you walk down the street.
to charge or cause to be charged with a crime: The police expect to make a couple of suspects soon.

to close (an electric circuit).

South Midland and Southern U.S. to plant and cultivate or produce (a crop): He makes some of the best corn in the country.

verb (used without object), made, mak·ing.

to cause oneself, or something understood, to be as specified: to make sure.

to show oneself to be or seem in action or behavior (usually followed by an adjective): to make merry.

to be made, as specified: This fabric makes up into beautiful drapes.

to move or proceed in a particular direction: They made after the thief.

to rise, as the tide or water in a ship.

South Midland and Southern U.S. (of a crop) to grow, develop, or mature: It looks like the corn's going to make pretty good this year.

make down, Chiefly Pennsylvania German. to rain or snow: It's making down hard.

make fast, Chiefly Nautical. to fasten or secure.

make shut, Chiefly Pennsylvania German. to close: Make the door shut.

noun

the style or manner in which something is made; form; build.

production with reference to the manufacturer; brand: our own make.

disposition; character; nature.

the act or process of making.

quantity made; output.

Cards. the act of naming the trump, or the suit named as trump.

Electricity. the closing of an electric circuit.

Jewelry. the excellence of a polished diamond with regard to proportion, symmetry, and finish.

Slang. identifying information about a person or thing from police records: He radioed headquarters for a make on the car's license plate.

Verb Phrases

make out,

to write out or complete, as a bill or check.
to establish; prove.
to decipher; discern.
to imply, suggest, or impute: He made me out to be a liar.
to manage; succeed: How are you making out in your new job?
Slang. to engage in kissing and caressing; neck.
Slang. to have sexual intercourse.
Chiefly Pennsylvania German. to turn off or extinguish (especially a light or fire): Make the light out.

make over,

to remodel; alter: to make over a dress; to make over a page layout.
to transfer the title of (property); convey: After she retired she made over her property to her children and moved to Florida.

make for,

to go toward; approach: to make for home.
to lunge at; attack.
to help to promote or maintain: This incident will not make for better understanding between the warring factions.

make off,

to run away; depart hastily: The only witness to the accident made off before the police arrived.
Nautical. to stand off from a coast, especially a lee shore.

make off with, to carry away; steal: While the family was away, thieves made off with most of their valuables.

make on, Chiefly Pennsylvania German. to turn on, light, or ignite (especially a light or fire): Make the light on.

make up,

(of parts) to constitute; compose; form.
to put together; construct; compile.
to concoct; invent.
Also make up for. to compensate for; make good.
to complete.
to put in order; arrange: The maid will make up the room.
to conclude; decide.
to settle amicably, as differences.
to become reconciled, as after a quarrel.
Printing. to arrange set type, illustrations, etc., into columns or pages.
to dress in appropriate costume and apply cosmetics for a part on the stage.
to apply cosmetics.
to adjust or balance, as accounts; prepare, as statements.
Education. to repeat (a course or examination that one has failed).
Education. to take an examination that one had been unable to take when first given, usually because of absence.
to specify and indicate the layout or arrangement of (columns, pages, etc., of matter to be printed).
Atlantic States. (of the weather or clouds) to develop or gather: It's making up for a storm.
Atlantic States. (of the sea) to become turbulent: If the sea makes up, row toward land.

make up to,

Informal. to try to become friendly with; fawn on.
to make advances to; flirt with: He makes up to every new woman in the office.

Origin of make

before 900; Middle English maken, Old English macian; cognate with Low German, Dutch maken, German machen

SYNONYMS FOR make

1 form; build; produce; fabricate, create, fashion, mold.

7 transform, change, turn.

8 force.

10 get, gain, acquire, obtain, secure, procure.

13 perform, execute.

18 judge, gauge.

48 shape, structure, construction, constitution.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR make ON THESAURUS.COM

ANTONYMS FOR make

1 destroy.

SEE ANTONYMS FOR make ON THESAURUS.COM

synonym study for make

1. Make, construct, manufacture mean to produce, to put into definite form, or to put parts together to make a whole. Make is the general term: Bees make wax. Construct, more formal, means to put parts together, usually according to a plan or design: to construct a building. Manufacture usually refers to producing something from material that requires conversion from one state or condition to another, now almost entirely by means of machinery in a relatively complex process: to manufacture automobiles by the assembly of different parts. The term is also often used contemptuously of unimaginative or hackneyed works of art with the implication that the work was produced mechanically, and is used abstractly with the idea of denying genuineness: to manufacture an excuse.

OTHER WORDS FROM make

mak·a·ble, adjective

Definition for make do (3 of 3)

do ¹

[ doo; unstressed doo, duh ]

/ du; unstressed dʊ, də /

verb (used with object), present singular 1st person do, 2nd do or (Archaic) do·est or dost, 3rd does or (Archaic) do·eth or doth, present plural do; past singular 1st person did, 2nd did or (Archaic) didst, 3rd did, past plural did; past participle done; present participle do·ing.

to perform (an act, duty, role, etc.): Do nothing until you hear the bell.

to execute (a piece or amount of work): to do a hauling job.

to accomplish; finish; complete: He has already done his homework.

to put forth; exert: Do your best.

to be the cause of (good, harm, credit, etc.); bring about; effect.

to render, give, or pay (homage, justice, etc.).

to deal with, fix, clean, arrange, move, etc., (anything) as the case may require: to do the dishes.

to travel; traverse: We did 30 miles today.

to serve; suffice for: This will do us for the present.

to condone or approve, as by custom or practice: That sort of thing simply isn't done.

to travel at the rate of (a specified speed): He was doing 80 when they arrested him.

to make or prepare: I'll do the salad.

to serve (a term of time) in prison, or, sometimes, in office.

to create, form, or bring into being: She does wonderful oil portraits.

to translate into or change the form or language of: MGM did the book into a movie.

to study or work at or in the field of: I have to do my math tonight.

to explore or travel through as a sightseer: They did Greece in three weeks.

(used with a pronoun, as it or that, or with a general noun, as thing, that refers to a previously mentioned action): You were supposed to write thank-you letters; do it before tomorrow, please.

Informal. to wear out; exhaust; tire: That last set of tennis did me.

Informal. to cheat, trick, or take advantage of: That crooked dealer did him for $500 at poker.

Informal. to attend or participate in: Let's do lunch next week.

Slang. to use (a drug or drugs), especially habitually: The police report said he was doing cocaine.

Slang. to rob; steal from: The law got him for doing a lot of banks.

Slang: Vulgar. to have sex with.

Informal. (usually in the negative) to act in accordance with expectations associated with (something specified): Just ignore her insults—she doesn’t do polite.

verb (used without object), present singular 1st person do, 2nd do or (Archaic) do·est or dost, 3rd does or (Archaic) do·eth or doth, present plural do; past singular 1st person did, 2nd did or (Archaic) didst, 3rd did, past plural did; past participle done; present participle do·ing.

to act or conduct oneself; be in action; behave.

to proceed: to do wisely.

to get along; fare; manage: to do without an automobile.

to be in health, as specified: Mother and child are doing fine.

to serve or be satisfactory, as for the purpose; be enough; suffice: Will this do?

to finish or be finished.

to happen; take place; transpire: What's doing at the office?

(used as a substitute to avoid repetition of a verb or full verb expression): I think as you do.

auxiliary verb, present singular 1st person do, 2nd do or (Archaic) do·est or dost, 3rd does or (Archaic) do·eth or doth, present plural do; past singular 1st person did, 2nd did or (Archaic) didst, 3rd did, past plural did; past participle done; present participle do·ing.

(used in interrogative, negative, and inverted constructions): Do you like music? I don't care. Seldom do we witness such catastrophes.

Archaic. (used in imperatives with you or thou expressed; and occasionally as a metric filler in verse): Do thou hasten to the king's side. The wind did blow, the rain did fall.

(used to lend emphasis to a principal verb): Do visit us!

noun, plural dos, do's.

Informal. a burst of frenzied activity; action; commotion.

Informal. a hairdo or hair styling.

British Slang. a swindle; hoax.

Chiefly British. a festive social gathering; party.

Verb Phrases

do by, to deal with; treat: He had always done well by his family.

do for,

to cause the defeat, ruin, or death of.
Chiefly British. to cook and keep house for; manage or provide for.

do in, Informal.

to kill, especially to murder.
to injure gravely or exhaust; wear out; ruin: The tropical climate did them in.
to cheat or swindle: He was done in by an unscrupulous broker.

do over, to redecorate.

do up, Informal.

to wrap and tie up.
to pin up or arrange (the hair).
to renovate; launder; clean.
to wear out; tire.
to fasten: Do up your coat.
to dress: The children were all done up in funny costumes.

do with, to gain advantage or benefit from; make use of: I could do with more leisure time.

do without,

to forgo; dispense with.
to dispense with the thing mentioned: The store doesn't have any, so you'll have to do without.

Origin of do

before 900; Middle English, Old English dōn; cognate with Dutch doen, German tun; akin to Latin -dere to put, facere to make, do, Greek tithénai to set, put, Sanskrit dadhāti (he) puts

SYNONYMS FOR do

1, 27 act.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR do ON THESAURUS.COM

synonym study for do

3. Do, accomplish, achieve mean to bring some action to a conclusion. Do is the general word: He did a great deal of hard work. Accomplish and achieve both connote successful completion of an undertaking. Accomplish emphasizes attaining a desired goal through effort, skill, and perseverance: to accomplish what one has hoped for. Achieve emphasizes accomplishing something important, excellent, or great: to achieve a major breakthrough.

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH do

dew do dew

British Dictionary definitions for make do (1 of 6)

abbreviation for

Doctor of Optometry

Doctor of Osteopathy

British Dictionary definitions for make do (2 of 6)

do ¹

/ (duː, unstressed dʊ, də) /

verb does, doing, did or done

to perform or complete (a deed or action) to do a portrait; the work is done

(often intr; foll by for) to serve the needs of; be suitable for (a person, situation, etc); suffice there isn't much food, but it'll do for the two of us

(tr) to arrange or fix you should do the garden now

(tr) to prepare or provide; serve this restaurant doesn't do lunch on Sundays

(tr) to make tidy, elegant, ready, etc, as by arranging or adorning to do one's hair

(tr) to improve (esp in the phrase do something to or for)

(tr) to find an answer to (a problem or puzzle)

(tr) to translate or adapt the form or language of the book was done into a play

(intr) to conduct oneself do as you please

(intr) to fare or manage how are you doing these days?

(tr) to cause or produce complaints do nothing to help

(tr) to give or render your portrait doesn't do you justice; do me a favour

(tr) to work at, esp as a course of study or a profession he is doing chemistry; what do you do for a living?

(tr) to perform (a play, etc); act they are doing ``Hamlet'' next week

(tr) to travel at a specified speed, esp as a maximum this car will do 120 mph

(tr) to travel or traverse (a distance) we did 15 miles on our walk

(takes an infinitive without to) used as an auxiliary before the subject of an interrogative sentence as a way of forming a question do you agree?; when did John go out?

(takes an infinitive without to) used as an auxiliary to intensify positive statements and commands I do like your new house; do hurry!

(takes an infinitive without to) used as an auxiliary before a negative adverb to form negative statements or commands he does not like cheese; do not leave me here alone!

(takes an infinitive without to) used as an auxiliary in inverted constructions little did he realize that; only rarely does he come in before ten o'clock

used as an auxiliary to replace an earlier verb or verb phrase to avoid repetition he likes you as much as I do

(tr) informal to visit or explore as a sightseer or tourist to do Westminster Abbey

(tr) to wear out; exhaust

(intr) to happen (esp in the phrase nothing doing)

(tr) slang to serve (a period of time) as a prison sentence he's doing three years for burglary; he's doing time

(tr) informal to cheat or swindle

(tr) slang to rob they did three shops last night

(tr) slang

to arrest
to convict of a crime

(tr) Australian informal to lose or spend (money) completely

(tr) slang, mainly British to treat violently; assault

(tr) slang to take or use (a drug)

(tr) taboo, slang (of a male) to have sexual intercourse with

(tr) to partake in (a meal) let's do lunch

do or do a informal to act like; imitate he's a good mimic – he can do all his friends well

do or die to make a final or supreme effort

how do you do? a conventional formula when being introduced

make do to manage with whatever is available

noun plural dos or do's

slang an act or instance of cheating or swindling

informal, mainly British and NZ a formal or festive gathering; party

do's and don'ts informal those things that should or should not be done; rules

See also do away with, do by, do down, do for, do in, done, do out, do over, do up, do with, do without

Word Origin for do

Old English dōn; related to Old Frisian duān, Old High German tuon, Latin abdere to put away, Greek tithenai to place; see deed, doom

British Dictionary definitions for make do (3 of 6)

do ²

/ (dəʊ) /

noun plural dos

a variant spelling of doh 1

British Dictionary definitions for make do (4 of 6)

do ³

the internet domain name for

Dominican Republic

British Dictionary definitions for make do (5 of 6)

make ¹

/ (meɪk) /

verb makes, making or made (mainly tr)

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

to draw up, establish, or form to make a decision; make one's will

to cause to exist, bring about, or produce don't make a noise

to cause, compel, or induce please make him go away

to appoint or assign, as to a rank or position they made him chairman

to constitute one swallow doesn't make a summer

(also intr) to come or cause to come into a specified state or condition to make merry; make someone happy

(copula) to be or become through development he will make a good teacher

to cause or ensure the success of your news has made my day

to amount to twelve inches make a foot

to be part of or a member of did she make one of the party?

to serve as or be suitable for that piece of cloth will make a coat

to prepare or put into a fit condition for use to make a bed

to be the essential element in or part of charm makes a good salesman

to carry out, effect, or do to make a gesture

(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

to use for a specified purpose I will make this town my base

to deliver or pronounce to make a speech

to judge, reckon, or give one's own opinion or information as to what time do you make it?

to cause to seem or represent as being that furniture makes the room look dark

to earn, acquire, or win for oneself to make friends; make a fortune

to engage in make love not war

to traverse or cover (distance) by travelling we can make a hundred miles by nightfall

to arrive in time for he didn't make the first act of the play

cards

to win a trick with (a specified card)
to shuffle (the cards)
bridge to fulfil (a contract) by winning the necessary number of tricks

cricket to score (runs)

electronics to close (a circuit) permitting a flow of current Compare break (def. 44)

(intr) to increase in depth the water in the hold was making a foot a minute

(intr) (of hay) to dry and mature

informal to gain a place or position on or in to make the headlines; make the first team

informal to achieve the rank of

slang to seduce

make a book to take bets on a race or other contest

make a day of it to cause an activity to last a day

make a night of it to cause an activity to last a night

make do See do 1 (def. 37)

make eyes at to flirt with or ogle

make good See good (def. 44)

make heavy weather nautical to roll and pitch in heavy seas

make heavy weather of something informal to carry something out with great difficulty or unnecessarily great effort

make it

informal to be successful in doing something
(foll by with) slang to have sexual intercourse
slang to inject a narcotic drug

make like slang, mainly US and Canadian to imitate

make love

to have sexual intercourse
archaic to engage in courtship

make love to someone

to have sexual intercourse with someone
archaic to engage in courtship with someone

make or break to bring success or ruin

make time See time (def. 45)

make water

another term for urinate
(of a boat, hull, etc) to let in water

noun

brand, type, or style what make of car is that?

the manner or way in which something is made

disposition or character; make-up

the act or process of making

the amount or number made

bridge the contract to be played

cards a player's turn to shuffle

on the make

informal out for profit or conquest
slang in search of a sexual partner

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

Derived forms of make

makable, adjective

Word Origin for make

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

British Dictionary definitions for make do (6 of 6)

make ²

/ (meɪk) /

noun archaic

a peer or consort

a mate or spouse

Derived forms of make

makeless, adjective

Word Origin for make

Old English gemaca mate; related to match 1

Idioms and Phrases with make do (1 of 2)

make do

Get along with the means available, especially insufficient means. For example, We'll just have to make do with one potato apiece. [c. 1900]

Idioms and Phrases with make do (2 of 2)

make

In addition to the idioms beginning with make

make a beeline for
make a break for
make a bundle
make a clean breast of
make a clean sweep
make a comeback
make a crack
make a date
make a day of it
make a dent in
make a difference
make advances
make a face
make a federal case of
make a fool of
make a fortune
make a fuss
make a go of
make a hash of
make a hit
make a hole in
make a killing
make a laughingstock of
make a living
make allowance for
make a long story short
make amends
make a monkey out of
make a mountain out of a molehill
make a name for oneself
make an appearance
make an appointment
make an ass of
make an end of
make an example of
make an exception
make an exhibition of oneself
make a night of it
make an impression
make a note of
make a nuisance of oneself
make a pass at
make a pig of oneself
make a pile
make a pitch for
make a play for
make a point of
make a practice of
make arrangements for
make a run for
make a scene
make as if
make a silk purse
make a stab at
make a stand
make a statement
make a stink
make a virtue of necessity
make away with
make bail
make believe
make bold
make book
make bricks without straw
make capital out of
make conversation
make demands on
make do
make ends meet
make eyes at
make fast work of
make for
make free with
make friends
make fun of
make good
make good time
make great strides
make haste
make hay while the sun shines
make head or tail of
make headway
make heavy weather
make history
make inroads into
make it
make it hot for
make it one's business
make it snappy
make it up
make it with
make light of
make like
make little of
make love
make mincemeat of
make mischief
make much of
make my day
make no bones about
make no difference
make no mistake
make nothing of
make off
make one's bed and lie in it
make one's blood boil
make one's blood run cold
make one's day
make one's ears burn
make oneself at home
make oneself scarce
make one's flesh creep
make one's hair stand on end
make one's head spin
make one sick
make one's mark
make one's mouth water
make one's peace with
make one's point
make one's way
make or break
make out
make out like a bandit
make over
make peace
make ready
make rounds
make sail
make sense
make short work of
make someone look good
make something of
make sport of
make stick
make sure
make the bed
make the best of it
make the dust fly
make the grade
make the most of
make the rounds
make the scene
make the sparks fly
make time
make tracks
make up
make up for lost time
make up one's mind
make up to
make use of
make waves
make way
make whoopee
make with

also see:

absence makes the heart grow fonder
all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear
can't make head or tail of
kiss and make up
many hands make light work
might makes right
on the make
practice makes perfect
put in (make) an appearance
put the make on
run for it, make a
that makes two of us
two wrongs do not make a right
what makes one tick

Also see undermade.

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

make-do

noun, plural make-dos.

adjective

Origin of make-do

Words nearby make-do

Definition for make do (2 of 3)

verb (used with object), made, mak·ing.

verb (used without object), made, mak·ing.

noun

Verb Phrases

Origin of make

SYNONYMS FOR make

ANTONYMS FOR make

synonym study for make

OTHER WORDS FROM make

Definition for make do (3 of 3)

verb (used with object), present singular 1st person do, 2nd do or (Archaic) do·est or dost, 3rd does or (Archaic) do·eth or doth, present plural do; past singular 1st person did, 2nd did or (Archaic) didst, 3rd did, past plural did; past participle done; present participle do·ing.

verb (used without object), present singular 1st person do, 2nd do or (Archaic) do·est or dost, 3rd does or (Archaic) do·eth or doth, present plural do; past singular 1st person did, 2nd did or (Archaic) didst, 3rd did, past plural did; past participle done; present participle do·ing.

auxiliary verb, present singular 1st person do, 2nd do or (Archaic) do·est or dost, 3rd does or (Archaic) do·eth or doth, present plural do; past singular 1st person did, 2nd did or (Archaic) didst, 3rd did, past plural did; past participle done; present participle do·ing.

noun, plural dos, do's.

Verb Phrases

Origin of do

SYNONYMS FOR do

synonym study for do

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH do

Words related to make do

British Dictionary definitions for make do (1 of 6)

abbreviation for

British Dictionary definitions for make do (2 of 6)

verb does, doing, did or done

noun plural dos or do's

Word Origin for do

British Dictionary definitions for make do (3 of 6)

noun plural dos

British Dictionary definitions for make do (4 of 6)

the internet domain name for

British Dictionary definitions for make do (5 of 6)

verb makes, making or made (mainly tr)

noun

Derived forms of make

Word Origin for make

British Dictionary definitions for make do (6 of 6)

noun archaic

Derived forms of make

Word Origin for make

Idioms and Phrases with make do (1 of 2)

Idioms and Phrases with make do (2 of 2)