make
She will make a cake for the party.
She will create a cake for the party.
To create, produce, or construct something from parts or materials.
He made a wooden chair.
He constructed a wooden chair from wood.
Can you make me a sandwich?
Can you prepare a sandwich for me?
Often used with materials (e.g., wood, metal) or outcomes (e.g., cake, decision).
To cause to be or become; to force into a specified state.
The news made her happy.
The news caused her to become happy.
The rain made the road slippery.
The rain caused the road to become slippery.
Commonly used with adjectives (e.g., happy, tired) or nouns (e.g., mistake, decision).
To prepare or put together (e.g., food, plans).
She made breakfast for her family.
She prepared breakfast for her family.
They made plans for the weekend.
They prepared arrangements for the weekend.
Often used in the context of meals or arrangements.
To earn or acquire (e.g., money, profit).
He made a lot of money last year.
He earned a significant income last year.
The company made a profit in Q2.
The company earned a profit in the second quarter.
Common in financial contexts to describe earnings.
To cause to happen or occur.
The mistake made the project fail.
The mistake caused the project to fail.
Often used to describe the cause of an event.
Collocations
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Common Collocations with 'Make'
'Make' is often paired with specific nouns (e.g., 'make a decision,' 'make money'). Memorizing these collocations can improve fluency and natural-sounding speech.
Gold Rule
Irregular Verb Conjugation
Remember that 'make' is irregular: present 'make,' past 'made,' past participle 'made.'
Word Origin
Old English 'macian' (to make, build, create), from Proto-Germanic '*makōną' (to fashion, construct), related to Old Norse 'maka' and Dutch 'maken'.
Usage Notes
'Make' is an irregular verb with past tense 'made' and past participle 'made'. It is highly versatile and can be used in many contexts, from physical creation to abstract outcomes.