make something up

Từ điển tiếng Anh - Cambridge Advanced Learners Dictionary

▪ I. make sth up phrasal verb before or after object [ made sth up made sth up made sth up makes sth up making sth up ]
 
INVENT

1. <I > to invent something, such as an excuse or a story, often in order to deceive
• I made up an excuse about having to look after the kids.
• My dad was always really good at making up stories.
Thesaurus⁺: ↑Lies, lying and hypocrisy ↑Dishonest people
 
• They made up an excuse not to go to the meeting.
• She told us stories about her family, but they were all made up.
• There was no fire - he made it all up.
• If you can't think what to write, just make something up.
• I made up a few words about his role in the company.
 
PREPARE
2. to prepare or arrange something by putting different things together
• Could you make up a list of all the things that need to be done?
• He asked the man behind the counter to make up a box with a mixed selection of chocolates.
• The maid will make up your room later.
Thesaurus⁺: ↑Preparing
3. specialized to produce or prepare something from cloth
• We could use the rest of the material to make up some curtains.
Thesaurus⁺: ↑Creating and producing ↑Inventing, designing and innovation
4. specialized If you make up a page, book or newspaper, you arrange the text and pictures in the form in which they will be printed.
Thesaurus⁺: ↑Printing and word processing
5. If you make up a bed for someone, you put sheets and covers on a bed so that they have a place to sleep in your home.
Thesaurus⁺: ↑Preparing
6. UK If you make up a fire, you prepare it or put more wood or coal on it when it is burning.
Thesaurus⁺: ↑Starting fires
 
COMPLETE
7. to make an amount of something complete or correct
• I have £20 000 and I need £25 000 but my parents have promised to make up the difference.
• UK I suspect we were only invited to make up numbers (= to provide enough people).
Thesaurus⁺: ↑Filling and completing
 
REPLACE
8. to reduce or replace something, usually an amount of time or work, that has been lost
• We're hoping to make up time on the return journey by not stopping at night.
• You'll have to make up the work you've missed while you were away.
Thesaurus⁺: ↑Filling and completing
Main entry: make_{phrasal verb}
 
▪ II. make (sb/sth) up phrasal verb before or after object [ made sb/sth up made sb/sth up made sb/sth up makes sb/sth up making sb/sth up ]
to put make-up on your face, or on another person's face, to improve or change its appearance
• She takes ages to make up in the mornings.
• For the film, they made him up as an Indian.
Thesaurus⁺: ↑Beauty treatments ↑Make-up and skin care
Main entry: make_{phrasal verb}