make up

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See also: makeup, make-up, and Make-up

English

Verb

make up (third-person singular simple present makes up, present participle making up, simple past and past participle made up)

  1. (transitive) To constitute; to compose, to form.
    Synonyms: compose, form; see also Thesaurus:compose
    • 1920, M. D. Eder, Dream Psychology, translation of original by Sigmund Freud:
      The words "dream interpretation" were and still are indeed fraught with unpleasant, unscientific associations. They remind one of all sorts of childish, superstitious notions, which make up the thread and woof of dream books, read by none but the ignorant and the primitive.
    • 2013 September–October, Katie L. Burke, “In the News: Photosynthesis Precursor”, in American Scientist‎[1], volume 100, number 5, New Haven, Conn.: Sigma Xi, the Scientific Research Society, →DOI, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 3 September 2013, page 328:
      Oxygen levels on Earth skyrocketed 2.4 billion years ago, when cyanobacteria evolved photosynthesis: [...]. The evolutionary precursor of photosynthesis is still under debate, and a new study sheds light. The critical component of the photosynthetic system is the water-oxidizing complex, made up of manganese atoms and a calcium atom.
  2. (transitive) To compensate, fill in or catch up.
    He can make up the time next week.
    I plan to make up for my failed midterm.
    Cuba took limited free market-oriented measures to alleviate severe shortages of food, consumer goods, and services to make up for the ending of Soviet subsidies.
    • 1943 November – 1944 February (date written; published 1945 August 17), George Orwell [pseudonym; Eric Arthur Blair], Animal Farm […], London: Secker & Warburg, published May 1962, →OCLC:
      The corn ration was drastically reduced, and it was announced that an extra potato ration would be issued to make up for it.
    • 1963, Margery Allingham, “Meeting Point”, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC, page 232:
      Meanwhile Nanny Broome was recovering from her initial panic and seemed anxious to make up for any kudos she might have lost, by exerting her personality to the utmost. She took the policeman's helmet and placed it on a chair, and unfolded his tunic to shake it and fold it up again for him.
    • 2011 February 6, Alistair Magowan, “West Ham 0 – 1 Birmingham”, in BBC Sport‎[2], archived from the original on 5 July 2018:
      Roger Johnson came closest to scoring for the visitors in the first half when he headed over from six yards following Lee Bowyer's cross, but he made up for that by producing some sterling defending to head clear [Victor] Obinna's bullet centre.
  3. (transitive) To invent, imagine, or concoct (a claim, story, etc.).
    He was a great storyteller and could make up a story on the spot.
  4. (transitive, cooking) To assemble, or mix.
    I can make up a batch of stew in a few minutes, but it will take a few hours to cook.
  5. (transitive, intransitive) To apply cosmetics or makeup to.
    Synonyms: cosmeticize, fard
    Let's leave as soon as I make up my face.
    • 1959, Anthony Burgess, Beds in the East (The Malayan Trilogy), published 1972, page 617:
      She rushed into her bedroom to make up.
  6. (intransitive) To resolve, forgive or smooth over an argument or fight.
    They fight a lot, but they always manage to make up.
  7. To overcome a disadvantage.
  8. To make social or romantic advances to; to pay court (to).
  9. Genetic material, the genetic 'makeup' of a living creature.

Usage notes

The object in all transitive senses can come before or after the particle. If it is a pronoun, then it must come before the particle.

Translations

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Anagrams

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