make-up
make-up — phrasal verb
1. to apply coloured products like powder, lipstick, or eyeshadow to a person's fac
to apply coloured products like powder, lipstick, or eyeshadow to a person's face, especially to improve how they look or to get ready for appearing on stage or on screen.
Adina made up her face with dark lipstick and red powder for the theatre show.
The makeup artist made Christopher up to look like an old man for the film.
separable phrasal verb: pronoun object goes between 'make' and 'up'
Linh made up her eyes with a soft blue shadow before the wedding party.
The actors were made up by a team of three professionals before each show.
passive form: be made up
Valentina made herself up carefully before the dinner with her colleagues.
- make up your face
- make up your eyes
- get made up
- make yourself up
Grammar Patterns
make + noun phrase + up
make up + noun phrase
Usage Note
Commonly used with a reflexive pronoun (make yourself up) or a body part (make up your eyes). When the object is a pronoun, it must go between 'make' and 'up': 'made her up', not 'made up her'.
Common Mistakes
2. to be the parts or people that together produce a particular group, total, or re
to be the parts or people that together produce a particular group, total, or result.
Women make up more than half of the students in this medical school.
The ten short stories make up the writer's first published collection.
Different cultural groups make up the population of the city.
Six members from each department make up the planning committee.
The committee is made up of teachers, parents, and local business owners.
passive construction: be made up of
- make up the majority
- make up a large part
- be made up of
- constitute
more formal; common in official or academic writing
- comprise
formal; can be used in either active or passive voice
- form
simpler and more general than 'make up'
Grammar Patterns
make up + noun phrase
be made up of + noun phrase
Usage Note
Always transitive. The passive form 'be made up of' is very common and is the usual way to describe the composition of something. This sense does NOT use 'for' after 'up'.
Common Mistakes
3. to create something by bringing together different parts, items, or ingredients.
to create something by bringing together different parts, items, or ingredients.
The chef made up a new sauce from leftover herbs and fresh spices.
Amani made up a gift basket with cookies, tea, and a handwritten letter.
make up + object constructed from parts
The team made up a schedule that included practice every evening.
Asher made up a temporary desk using two boxes and a wooden board.
The staff made up welcome packs for all the new students arriving this week.
- make up a bed
- make up a parcel
- make up a schedule
- put together
synonymous in most contexts; slightly less formal
- assemble
more formal; implies fitting physical parts together
Grammar Patterns
make up + noun phrase
make + noun phrase + up
Usage Note
The object is created from separate parts — a meal, a pack, a schedule, etc. Distinguish from Sense 4 (INVENT): this sense involves physically or practically assembling real things, not creating fictional stories.
Common Mistakes
4. to create a story, explanation, or piece of information that is not true, usuall
to create a story, explanation, or piece of information that is not true, usually in order to deceive someone or to amuse them.
The child made up a funny story about a rabbit who could speak three languages.
make up + story (for entertainment)
Lauren made up an excuse about missing the bus because she felt too shy.
Hamza made up a song on the guitar to entertain his younger sister.
The journalist made up several quotes and published them as real interviews.
When Padma forgot her homework, she made up an unlikely story for the teacher.
- make up a story
- make up an excuse
- make up a reason
- make up a song
Grammar Patterns
make up + noun phrase
make + noun phrase + up
Usage Note
The object is always something created by the imagination — a story, excuse, reason, explanation, or song. Carries a negative connotation when the purpose is deception. For neutral or positive creativity, prefer 'come up with' or 'create'.
Common Mistakes
5. to add something to a group or total so that the required number, amount, or tar
to add something to a group or total so that the required number, amount, or target is reached.
We need one more player to make up the team for Saturday's match.
Mei worked extra hours to make up the time she had lost during the holiday.
The company made up the difference between the old salary and the new one.
make up + the difference (financial shortfall)
Padma brought extra chairs to make up the number needed for the classroom.
Donations from the local shops made up the total cost of the school trip.
- make up the difference
- make up the number
- make up the time
- make up the shortfall
- complete
simpler; does not imply filling a gap
- supplement
more formal; suggests adding to an existing amount
Grammar Patterns
make up + noun phrase
make up the difference
Usage Note
Frequently used in financial or logistical contexts about reaching a target. The object is a quantity, amount, or group — not a person. For compensating a person for a loss, see Sense 6.
Common Mistakes
6. to do something good for someone because you have caused them trouble, inconveni
to do something good for someone because you have caused them trouble, inconvenience, or loss, or to balance a negative situation with a positive action.
Christopher tried to make up for his rude comment by buying flowers for his colleague.
The hotel offered a free night to make up for the noisy room.
make up for + problem being compensated
Lauren walked the neighbour's dog to make up for breaking his window with a ball.
No amount of money could make up for the time Amani lost with her family.
Élise made up for her absence by working extra hard when she got back.
- make up for lost time
- make up for a mistake
- make up for an inconvenience
- compensate for
more formal; used in official and business contexts
- make amends for
implies a moral or relational repair, not just financial
- offset
neutral; often used in technical or financial writing
Grammar Patterns
make up for + noun phrase
make up for + -ing verb
Usage Note
This sense REQUIRES the preposition 'for' after 'up'. The object of 'for' is the problem, loss, or mistake being balanced. Does NOT take a direct object. Commonly used in apologies, customer service, and relationship repair.
Common Mistakes
7. to mix different substances together in order to create a medicine, treatment, o
to mix different substances together in order to create a medicine, treatment, or remedy according to a formula or prescription.
The pharmacist made up the prescription while Mateo waited at the counter.
collocation: make up a prescription / make up a medicine
Aylin watched the chemist make up a soothing cream for her grandmother's dry skin.
separable phrasal verb: make up + object
Before leaving the clinic, William waited for them to make up his allergy treatment.
The nurse made up a fresh batch of cough syrup for the children's ward.
Could you make up this ointment according to the doctor's written instructions?
- make up a prescription
- make up a medicine
- make up a cream
- make up an ointment
Grammar Patterns
make up + [medicine/prescription]
Usage Note
Commonly used in pharmacy and healthcare contexts. The object is usually a medicine, cream, or prescription — not general food or drink mixtures.
Common Mistakes
8. to arrange sheets, blankets, and pillows on a bed so that someone can sleep in i
to arrange sheets, blankets, and pillows on a bed so that someone can sleep in it; also, to fashion a makeshift sleeping spot from whatever is available.
Yuna made up the sofa bed for her overnight guest.
collocation: make up a sofa bed / make up a bed
The hotel staff make up all the beds in each room every morning.
Ilan made up a bed for his nephew on the floor using pillows and blankets.
Before the visitors arrived, Nala made up all the spare beds with fresh sheets.
Could you make up the cot in the nursery before the baby's nap time?
- make up a bed
- make up a sofa bed
- make up a cot
- make up a spare bed
- prepare (a bed)
more formal and general
- set up (a bed)
suggests assembling a folding or temporary bed
Grammar Patterns
make up + [bed/sofa bed/cot]
Usage Note
More common in British English than American English, where 'make the bed' is preferred. This sense is the only one where the object is furniture (bed, cot, sofa bed) rather than a substance or a room.
Common Mistakes
9. to freshen up a hotel room, put on clean sheets, and leave everything tidy for t
to freshen up a hotel room, put on clean sheets, and leave everything tidy for the person staying there.
The housekeeper made up Room 204 while the guests were at breakfast.
collocation: make up a room
Could someone make up my room before the next guest arrives this afternoon?
Diya was asked to make up all the rooms on the third floor by noon.
The hotel makes up each room once a day unless the guest requests otherwise.
passive structure: be made up
When Lien returned to her hotel, the maid had already made up the room.
- make up a room
- make up a hotel room
- make up a guest room
- tidy up
more general; used for any room, not just hotels
- clean
simpler and more general; no implication of making the bed
- service (a room)
formal hotel-industry term
Grammar Patterns
make up + [room]
Usage Note
Almost exclusively used in the hospitality industry. The object is always a room or a hotel room number, not a bed — that is sense 8 (MAKE A BED). Distinguish from sense 8 by checking whether the full room cleaning or only the bed is being prepared.
Common Mistakes
10. to stop feeling angry or upset with someone after a disagreement or argument and
to stop feeling angry or upset with someone after a disagreement or argument and become friendly with them again.
After their big fight, Mateo and Aylin finally made up over coffee.
intransitive: make up (no object needed)
It took the sisters two weeks to make up after the quarrel about the holiday.
William made up with his sister after he apologised for breaking her laptop.
pattern: make up with + person
The couple made up and decided to give their relationship another chance.
If you two don't make up soon, the whole weekend will be ruined.
- make up with somebody
- make up after a fight
- make up after an argument
- kiss and make up
- reconcile
more formal; can be used with or without 'with'
- patch things up
informal; suggests a quick or imperfect resolution
- bury the hatchet
idiomatic; suggests ending a long or serious conflict
Grammar Patterns
make up (with + person)
make up after + [event]
Usage Note
Intransitive — you never 'make up someone' in this sense. To name the person you reconcile with, use 'make up with [someone]'. To name the cause of the argument, use 'make up after [event/disagreement]'.
Common Mistakes
Word family
Synonym discussion
Sense: phrasal verb/2
Make up, constitute, and comprise can all describe the parts that form a whole, but they differ in register and sentence structure. Make up is the most neutral and works in everyday speech: 'Women make up more than half the class.' Constitute is more formal and appears in legal or official writing: 'This report constitutes a breach of protocol.' Comprise is tricky — it can mean either 'include' (the whole comprises its parts) or 'make up' (the parts comprise the whole), which often confuses learners. Consist of is a safe, clear alternative always followed by the parts: 'The committee consists of ten members.' Form is the simplest, fitting both concrete and abstract contexts: 'These chapters form the introduction.' For everyday use, choose make up or consist of; for academic writing, prefer constitute or comprise.
Common collocations
Nouns
- a story / an excuse / a song (invent)
- the difference / the time / the shortfall (complete)
- a bed / a room / a cot (prepare; British)
- a prescription / a medicine (pharmacy)
- her face / her eyes (cosmetics)
Adverbs
- hastily (make up an excuse)
- fully (make up for the loss)
- finally (make up after a fight)
Phrases
- make up for lost time
- make it up to someone
- make up your mind
- make-up bag
- kiss and make up
Prepositions
- for (make up for a mistake)
- with (make up with a friend)
- after (make up after an argument)
- of (be made up of parts)
Etymology
Make up comes from the Old English verb macian ('to make, construct') and the adverb upp ('to a higher place'). In Middle English, the phrasal verb took on the meaning 'to put together.' By the 1500s it was used for settling disputes ('make up a quarrel'), and by the 1800s for applying cosmetics. The noun form makeup (or make-up) followed in the late 19th century.