make it
English
Pronunciation
Audio (AU): (file)
Verb
make it (third-person singular simple present makes it, present participle making it, simple past and past participle made it)
- Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see make, it.
- (idiomatic) To succeed in doing something, for example in reaching a place, going somewhere, attending an event, arriving in time for something, adding to one's schedule or itinerary, or in getting where one wants to be in one's life or career, which sometimes means becoming or wanting to become successful (succeed in a big way) or famous.
- He never made it to Italy despite talking about it all his life.
- I can't make it to the concert; I have to work.
- I'm not just going to make it; I'm going to make it big.
- 2003, Frank P. Baron, What Fish Don't Want You to Know
- I was scrambling to my feet when I saw the car sliding back toward me, having not quite made it to the crest of the hill.
- 1995, The Presidents of the United States of America, We Are Not Going To Make It (song)
- We're not gonna make it
- ’Cause there’s a million better bands
- (idiomatic) To succeed in surviving, in living through something.
- 1980, Will D. Campbell, Brother to a Dragonfly
- Don’t die, pal. You’re gonna make it little buddy. Come on, man. We’re gonna help you, and you’re gonna make it.
- 2017, BioWare, Mass Effect: Andromeda (Science Fiction), Redwood City: Electronic Arts, via PC, →OCLC, scene: For the Commander:
- Arjaan didn't make it. He went down covering our saboteur-took out nearly a dozen kett before he fell.
- 1980, Will D. Campbell, Brother to a Dragonfly
- (idiomatic) To have sexual intercourse; do it.
- 1976, Paul Schrader, 01:21:04 from the start, in Martin Scorsese, director, Taxi Driver (film):
- Iris Steensma (Jodie Foster):“Listen, we better make it or Sport’ll get mad. So how do you wanna make it?” Travis Bickle (Robert DeNiro): “I don’t wanna make it. Who’s Sport?” Iris Steensma(Jodie Foster): “Oh, that’s Matthew. I call him Sport. Wanna make it like this? (starts to unbuckle belt)[…]”Don't you want to make it?” Travis Bickle (Robert DeNiro): “No I don’t wanna make it. I wanna help you” […] Iris Steensma (Jodie Foster):”Listen, we don’t have to make it mister.”
- 1993, Vladimir Paral, The Four Sonyas
- ...a fellow who knew how to make every girl happy, but once he’d made it with her didn’t know where to go from there.
Synonyms
- (to have sexual intercourse): do it, get it, make out, make whoopee; see also Thesaurus:copulate
Translations
to succeed in doing something, for example in reaching a place, or getting there on time
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to survive, to live through something
to become famous and successful
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to have sexual intercourse
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