Tra từ make - Từ điển tiếng Anh - Cambridge Advanced Learners Dictionary

make UK US [meɪk] verb [ made ], [ made ] [ made makes making ]

PRODUCE

1. <E > transitive to produce something, often using a particular substance or material
• Shall I make some coffee?
• He'd made a chocolate cake.
• She makes all her own clothes.
• + two objects He made us some coffee./He made some coffee for us.
• The pot is made to withstand high temperatures.
• He works for a company that makes garden furniture.
• The label on the box said 'made in Taiwan'.
• Butter is made out of/from milk.
• earrings made of gold
• Her new trainer has promised to make an olympic athlete of her.
Thesaurus⁺: ↑Creating and producing ↑Inventing, designing and innovation
2. <E > transitive To make a film or television programme is to direct, produce it, or act in it
• John Huston made some great films.
• The film was made by Goldcrest Productions.
• So why didn't Garbo make any films after 1941?
Thesaurus⁺: ↑Production, direction and recording

• Could you make a copy of this report for tomorrow's meeting, please?
• If you make the main course, I'll make a dessert.
• To make an omelette you must first beat the eggs.
• He works for a company that makes aircraft parts.
• Crude oil is used as the raw material for making plastics.

CAUSE

3. <E > transitive to cause something
• The kids made such a mess in the kitchen.
• The bullet made a hole right through his chest.
• + infinitive without to The wind is making my eyes water.
• What made you change your mind?
• Just seeing Woody Allen's face is enough to make me laugh.
• The photograph makes me look about 80!
Thesaurus⁺: ↑Causing things to happen

• Exercise can make a big difference to your state of health.
• What makes you think that you are qualified for this job?
• I felt so ashamed of myself for making such a fuss.
• The wine made a big stain on his shirt.
• The loud explosion made everyone jump.

CAUSE TO BE

4. <E > transitive to cause to be, to become or to appear as
• + noun It's the good weather that makes Spain such a popular tourist destination.
• reflexive + past participle She had to shout to make herself heard above the sound of the music.
• I can make myself understood in French, but I'm not fluent.
• They went up to the Ambassador and made themselves known (to her).
• + adjective The company accounts have not yet been made public.
• The book's advertised as "navigation made easy".
• The President has made Henry Paulson his Secretary of the Treasury.
• I'll have a steak - no, make that chicken.
Thesaurus⁺: ↑Causing things to happen
5. make certain/sure
<A > to take action so that you are certain that something happens, is true, etc
• I'll just make sure I've turned the oven off.
• Make certain (that) we have enough drink for the party.
• Make sure you're home by midnight.
• Jones made sure of his place in the side with three fine goals.
• I think I locked the door but I'll go back and check just to make sure.
Thesaurus⁺: ↑Certainty ↑Confidence and self-assurance

• Do sit down and make yourself comfortable.
• The empty roads make this area good cycling country.
• Many things make it difficult for women to reach the top in US business.
• Your rosy cheeks always make you look so healthy.
• Don't stand over me all the time - it makes me nervous.

PERFORM

6. <E > transitive to perform an action
• I must make a telephone call.
• Somebody has made a donation of £1 million to Oxfam.
• I need to make a trip to the shops.
• On foot they could only make about 20 miles a day.
• We must make a decision by tomorrow.
• You're not making any effort.
• Someone has made a mistake/an error.
• We're making good progress.
• She has made a request for a new car.
• We made an offer of £150 000 for the house.
• She made a short speech.
• Shall we make a start on the work?
• Can I make a suggestion?
• We made good time getting across town.
• There's a drunk at the door making trouble.
Thesaurus⁺: ↑Performing a function ↑Functioning
7. make room/space/way
If you make room/space/way for something or someone, you move or move other things, so that there is space for them.
Thesaurus⁺: ↑General words for movement

• We got as far as the school, and there we had to make a right turn.
• The Queen is making a two-week tour of Australia.
• She made a rude gesture at the other driver.
• She gulped down her drink and made a hasty exit.
• There was a deathly hush after she made the announcement.

FORCE

8. make sb do sth
<E > to force someone or something to do something
• You can't make him go if he doesn't want to.
• The vet put something down the dog's throat to make it vomit.
Thesaurus⁺: ↑Causing somebody to act ↑Urging and persuading
9. be made to do sth
<E > to be forced to do something
• The prisoners are made to dig holes and fill them in again.
Thesaurus⁺: ↑Causing somebody to act ↑Urging and persuading

Common errors:
When make has the meaning 'to force', it is followed by a verb in the infinitive without 'to'.
Do not say 'make someone to do something', say make someone do something.
✗ They made us to pay extra for the drinks.
• They made us pay extra for the drinks.
Warning: in passive sentences, use the infinitive with 'to'.
Don't say 'be made do something', say be made to do something.

BE OR BECOME

10. <I > L only + noun to be or become something, usually by having the necessary characteristics
• I don't think he will ever make a (good) lawyer.
• He's a competent enough officer, but I doubt he'll ever make general.
• It's a story that would make a great film.
• She decided the back room would make a good study.
• Champagne and caviar make a wonderful combination.
• The story makes fascinating reading.
Thesaurus⁺: ↑Existing and being
11. <I > L only + noun If people or things make a particular pattern, they are arranged in that way
• Let's make a circle.
• Those seven bright stars make the shape of a saucepan.
Thesaurus⁺: ↑Comprising and consisting of ↑Including and containing

• That cheese would make a great sandwich.
• The cave made a makeshift shelter.
• She would make a wonderful nurse.
• That would make a great name for a band.
• The report makes depressing reading.

TOTAL

12. <I > L only + noun transitive to produce a total when added together
• 12 and 12 make 24.
• Today's earthquake makes five since the beginning of the year.
• + object + noun I've got 29 different teapots in my collection - if I buy this one that'll make it 30.
Thesaurus⁺: ↑Calculations and calculating ↑Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division

• There'll be us four there, plus grandma makes five.
• Three add three makes six.
• That makes three times you've been late now.
• What do five sevens make.
• That makes five exercise sessions this week.

CALCULATE

13. <A > transitive + object + noun to calculate as
• How much do you make the total?
• I make the answer (to be) 105.6.
• What do you make the time?/What time do you make it?
Thesaurus⁺: ↑Calculations and calculating ↑Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division

• I make it 2,300.
• I made it three o'clock exactly when they set off.
• What do you make his temperature?
• I make it just gone two o'clock.
• I make the total £5.69.

EARN/GET

14. <A > transitive to earn or get
• She makes $100 000 a year as a doctor.
• How do you make a living as a painter?
• The company has made huge profits/losses.
• He's very good at making new friends.
Thesaurus⁺: ↑Earning money and money earned

• I only made a few pounds from the sale.
• How much do you make in a year?
• He made himself a lot of enemies.
• We made a lot of friends through our work.
• I can't make a living through writing.

ARRIVE

15. <A > transitive informal to arrive at or reach, especially successfully
• She made it to the airport just in time to catch her plane.
• He made it to the bed and then collapsed.
• Could you make a meeting at 8 am?/Could you make 8 am for the meeting?
Thesaurus⁺: ↑Arriving, entering and invading

• We just about made it in time for the show.
• Can yo make next week's meeting?
• I won't be able to make your party, I'm afraid.
• I managed to make it to the phone.
• We made the city by nightfall.

PERFECT

16. transitive informal to cause to be perfect
• Those little bows round the neck really make the dress!
Thesaurus⁺: ↑Perfect and faultless ↑Unspoilt
Idioms: Do you want to make anything of it? ▪ made for somebody ▪ made of money ▪ make a day of it ▪ make a lot of somebody ▪ make as if to do something ▪ make do ▪ make it ▪ make it up to somebody ▪ make it with somebody ▪ make like ▪ make or break for somebody ▪ make or break something ▪ make something up as you go along ▪ make time ▪ make to do something ▪ what somebody is made of
Phrasal Verbs: make for something ▪ make for somewhere ▪ make of somebody ▪ make off ▪ make off with something ▪ make out ▪ make out something ▪ make somebody out ▪ make something into something ▪ make something of something ▪ make something out ▪ make something over to somebody ▪ make something up ▪ make towards somebody ▪ make up ▪ make up for something ▪ make up something ▪ make up to somebody ▪ make with something

noun countable
a type of product or the name of the company which made it
• What make is your stereo?
Thesaurus⁺: ↑Products and producers ↑Buying and selling in general
Idiom: on the make