"make do" meaning in English

See make do in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Verb

Audio: En-au-make do.ogg Forms: makes do [present, singular, third-person], making do [participle, present], made do [participle, past], made do [past]
Head templates: {{en-verb|make<,,made> do}} make do (third-person singular simple present makes do, present participle making do, simple past and past participle made do)
  1. (intransitive, idiomatic, informal) To survive, get by (with), or use whatever is available (due to lack of resources). Tags: idiomatic, informal, intransitive Translations (to get by (with)): 湊合 (Chinese Mandarin), 凑合 (còuhe) (Chinese Mandarin), 將就 (Chinese Mandarin), 将就 (jiāngjiu) (Chinese Mandarin), vystačit (Czech), klare sig (med) (Danish), genoegen nemen (Dutch), pärjätä (Finnish), kelvata (Finnish), tulla toimeen (Finnish), faire avec (French), se débrouiller (French), sich begnügen (German), sich behelfen (German), auskommen (German), sich abfinden (German), vorliebnehmen (German), klarkommen (German), hinkommen (German), hinlangen (German), hinreichen (German), vorlieb nehmen (German), zufriedengeben (German), zurechtkommen (German), αγγαρεύω (angarévo) (Greek), kijön (Hungarian), kihúz (Hungarian), megél (Hungarian), boldogul (Hungarian), elboldogul (Hungarian), beéri (Hungarian), megelégszik (Hungarian), farcela (Italian), arrangiarsi (Italian), far funzionare (Italian), 間に合わせる (maniawaseru) (alt: まにあわせる) (Japanese), やりくりする (yarikuri suru) (Japanese), radzić sobie (Polish), obywać się [imperfective] (Polish), obyć się [perfective] (Polish), sobreviver (Portuguese), справля́ться (spravljátʹsja) [imperfective] (Russian), спра́виться (správitʹsja) [perfective] (Russian), обходи́ться (obxodítʹsja) [imperfective] (Russian), обойти́сь (obojtísʹ) [perfective] (Russian), conformarse (Spanish), componérselas (Spanish), arreglárselas (Spanish), apañarse (Spanish), hacerse a las armas (Spanish), ingeniárselas (Spanish), klara (Swedish), yetinmek (Turkish), idare etmek (Turkish)
    Sense id: en-make_do-en-verb-7eYOH~EK Disambiguation of 'to get by (with)': 100 0 0
  2. (transitive, informal) To put into action. Tags: informal, transitive
    Sense id: en-make_do-en-verb-pPCP1MkX Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English light verb constructions, English predicates, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Terms with Czech translations, Terms with Danish translations, Terms with Dutch translations, Terms with Finnish translations, Terms with French translations, Terms with German translations, Terms with Greek translations, Terms with Hungarian translations, Terms with Italian translations, Terms with Japanese translations, Terms with Mandarin translations, Terms with Polish translations, Terms with Portuguese translations, Terms with Russian translations, Terms with Spanish translations, Terms with Swedish translations, Terms with Turkish translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 4 92 4 Disambiguation of English light verb constructions: 4 86 10 Disambiguation of English predicates: 20 59 21 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 8 83 9 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 6 89 5 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 3 93 4 Disambiguation of Terms with Czech translations: 8 73 19 Disambiguation of Terms with Danish translations: 6 87 7 Disambiguation of Terms with Dutch translations: 11 77 12 Disambiguation of Terms with Finnish translations: 9 79 12 Disambiguation of Terms with French translations: 13 76 11 Disambiguation of Terms with German translations: 10 79 11 Disambiguation of Terms with Greek translations: 11 76 13 Disambiguation of Terms with Hungarian translations: 8 73 19 Disambiguation of Terms with Italian translations: 8 83 9 Disambiguation of Terms with Japanese translations: 8 83 9 Disambiguation of Terms with Mandarin translations: 9 79 11 Disambiguation of Terms with Polish translations: 12 74 14 Disambiguation of Terms with Portuguese translations: 8 75 17 Disambiguation of Terms with Russian translations: 8 83 9 Disambiguation of Terms with Spanish translations: 8 82 10 Disambiguation of Terms with Swedish translations: 9 80 11 Disambiguation of Terms with Turkish translations: 9 80 11
  3. (transitive, informal) To use for one's purpose something worn, defective, or intended for another purpose. Tags: informal, transitive Translations (to use for one's purpose something worn, defective, or intended for another purpose): quebrar o galho (Portuguese)
    Sense id: en-make_do-en-verb-QcONPSE1 Disambiguation of "to use for one's purpose something worn, defective, or intended for another purpose": 8 2 90
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Derived forms: make-do [adjective, noun], make it do or do without, make do and mend Related terms: eke out, get by, settle for

Inflected forms

{
  "derived": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "tags": [
        "adjective",
        "noun"
      ],
      "word": "make-do"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "make it do or do without"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "make do and mend"
    }
  ],
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "makes do",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "making do",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "made do",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "made do",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "make<,,made> do"
      },
      "expansion": "make do (third-person singular simple present makes do, present participle making do, simple past and past participle made do)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "related": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "eke out"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "get by"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "settle for"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "There is barely enough money, so we will have to make do with what we have.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2018 April 10, Daniel Taylor, “Liverpool go through after Mohamed Salah stops Manchester City fightback”, in The Guardian (London):",
          "text": "Pep Guardiola’s team will have to make do with the Premier League title whereas Liverpool will go into Friday’s draw because over the two legs they were more clinical during their spells of superiority.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To survive, get by (with), or use whatever is available (due to lack of resources)."
      ],
      "id": "en-make_do-en-verb-7eYOH~EK",
      "links": [
        [
          "survive",
          "survive"
        ],
        [
          "get by",
          "get by"
        ],
        [
          "use",
          "use"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive, idiomatic, informal) To survive, get by (with), or use whatever is available (due to lack of resources)."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic",
        "informal",
        "intransitive"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "sense": "to get by (with)",
          "word": "湊合"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "còuhe",
          "sense": "to get by (with)",
          "word": "凑合"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "sense": "to get by (with)",
          "word": "將就"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "jiāngjiu",
          "sense": "to get by (with)",
          "word": "将就"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "cs",
          "lang": "Czech",
          "sense": "to get by (with)",
          "word": "vystačit"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "da",
          "lang": "Danish",
          "sense": "to get by (with)",
          "word": "klare sig (med)"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "to get by (with)",
          "word": "genoegen nemen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to get by (with)",
          "word": "pärjätä"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to get by (with)",
          "word": "kelvata"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to get by (with)",
          "word": "tulla toimeen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "to get by (with)",
          "word": "faire avec"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "to get by (with)",
          "word": "se débrouiller"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "to get by (with)",
          "word": "sich begnügen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "to get by (with)",
          "word": "sich behelfen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "to get by (with)",
          "word": "auskommen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "to get by (with)",
          "word": "sich abfinden"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "to get by (with)",
          "word": "vorliebnehmen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "to get by (with)",
          "word": "klarkommen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "to get by (with)",
          "word": "hinkommen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "to get by (with)",
          "word": "hinlangen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "to get by (with)",
          "word": "hinreichen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "to get by (with)",
          "word": "vorlieb nehmen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "to get by (with)",
          "word": "zufriedengeben"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "to get by (with)",
          "word": "zurechtkommen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "el",
          "lang": "Greek",
          "roman": "angarévo",
          "sense": "to get by (with)",
          "word": "αγγαρεύω"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "to get by (with)",
          "word": "kijön"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "to get by (with)",
          "word": "kihúz"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "to get by (with)",
          "word": "megél"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "to get by (with)",
          "word": "boldogul"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "to get by (with)",
          "word": "elboldogul"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "to get by (with)",
          "word": "beéri"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "to get by (with)",
          "word": "megelégszik"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "to get by (with)",
          "word": "farcela"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "to get by (with)",
          "word": "arrangiarsi"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "to get by (with)",
          "word": "far funzionare"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "alt": "まにあわせる",
          "code": "ja",
          "lang": "Japanese",
          "roman": "maniawaseru",
          "sense": "to get by (with)",
          "word": "間に合わせる"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "ja",
          "lang": "Japanese",
          "roman": "yarikuri suru",
          "sense": "to get by (with)",
          "word": "やりくりする"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "to get by (with)",
          "word": "radzić sobie"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "to get by (with)",
          "tags": [
            "imperfective"
          ],
          "word": "obywać się"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "to get by (with)",
          "tags": [
            "perfective"
          ],
          "word": "obyć się"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "to get by (with)",
          "word": "sobreviver"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "spravljátʹsja",
          "sense": "to get by (with)",
          "tags": [
            "imperfective"
          ],
          "word": "справля́ться"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "správitʹsja",
          "sense": "to get by (with)",
          "tags": [
            "perfective"
          ],
          "word": "спра́виться"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "obxodítʹsja",
          "sense": "to get by (with)",
          "tags": [
            "imperfective"
          ],
          "word": "обходи́ться"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "obojtísʹ",
          "sense": "to get by (with)",
          "tags": [
            "perfective"
          ],
          "word": "обойти́сь"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "to get by (with)",
          "word": "conformarse"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "to get by (with)",
          "word": "componérselas"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "to get by (with)",
          "word": "arreglárselas"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "to get by (with)",
          "word": "apañarse"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "to get by (with)",
          "word": "hacerse a las armas"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "to get by (with)",
          "word": "ingeniárselas"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "to get by (with)",
          "word": "klara"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "tr",
          "lang": "Turkish",
          "sense": "to get by (with)",
          "word": "yetinmek"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "tr",
          "lang": "Turkish",
          "sense": "to get by (with)",
          "word": "idare etmek"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "4 92 4",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "4 86 10",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English light verb constructions",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "20 59 21",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English predicates",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "8 83 9",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "6 89 5",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "3 93 4",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "8 73 19",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Czech translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "6 87 7",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Danish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "11 77 12",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Dutch translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "9 79 12",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Finnish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "13 76 11",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with French translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "10 79 11",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with German translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "11 76 13",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Greek translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "8 73 19",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Hungarian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "8 83 9",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Italian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "8 83 9",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Japanese translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "9 79 11",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Mandarin translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "12 74 14",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Polish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "8 75 17",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Portuguese translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "8 83 9",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Russian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "8 82 10",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Spanish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "9 80 11",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Swedish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "9 80 11",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Turkish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Make the movie do! (Put on the movie!)"
        },
        {
          "text": "Brandon’s makin’ the grill do so we can get to eatin’."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To put into action."
      ],
      "id": "en-make_do-en-verb-pPCP1MkX",
      "links": [
        [
          "action",
          "action"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive, informal) To put into action."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "informal",
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1902, Lina Beard with Adelia Belle Beard, What a girl can make and do: new ideas for work and play, page 7:",
          "text": "A poor screw-driver is one of the most exasperating of poor tools, and a trial to one's patience and temper; besides, it is of little use attempting to \"make it do,\" for it seldom will do.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1920, George F. Johnson, “How Do You Suppose We Make a Success of Our Business?”, in American review of shoes and leather, volumes 35-38:",
          "text": "It is not the same hide but we make it do. You work harder to make it into good leather and harder to make it into good shoes, and we get by.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2005, Trevanian, The crazyladies of Pearl Street, page 65:",
          "text": "She had dozens of ways to make something ‘do’ for another week or month. Skillful with a needle, she could darn and re- darn our socks without making the heel or toe uncomfortably thick",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To use for one's purpose something worn, defective, or intended for another purpose."
      ],
      "id": "en-make_do-en-verb-QcONPSE1",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive, informal) To use for one's purpose something worn, defective, or intended for another purpose."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "informal",
        "transitive"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "8 2 90",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "to use for one's purpose something worn, defective, or intended for another purpose",
          "word": "quebrar o galho"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "En-au-make do.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/6/69/En-au-make_do.ogg/En-au-make_do.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/69/En-au-make_do.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "word": "make do"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English light verb constructions",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English predicates",
    "English verbs",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Terms with Czech translations",
    "Terms with Danish translations",
    "Terms with Dutch translations",
    "Terms with Finnish translations",
    "Terms with French translations",
    "Terms with German translations",
    "Terms with Greek translations",
    "Terms with Hungarian translations",
    "Terms with Italian translations",
    "Terms with Japanese translations",
    "Terms with Mandarin translations",
    "Terms with Polish translations",
    "Terms with Portuguese translations",
    "Terms with Russian translations",
    "Terms with Spanish translations",
    "Terms with Swedish translations",
    "Terms with Turkish translations"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "tags": [
        "adjective",
        "noun"
      ],
      "word": "make-do"
    },
    {
      "word": "make it do or do without"
    },
    {
      "word": "make do and mend"
    }
  ],
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "makes do",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "making do",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "made do",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "made do",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "make<,,made> do"
      },
      "expansion": "make do (third-person singular simple present makes do, present participle making do, simple past and past participle made do)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "eke out"
    },
    {
      "word": "get by"
    },
    {
      "word": "settle for"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English idioms",
        "English informal terms",
        "English intransitive verbs",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "There is barely enough money, so we will have to make do with what we have.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2018 April 10, Daniel Taylor, “Liverpool go through after Mohamed Salah stops Manchester City fightback”, in The Guardian (London):",
          "text": "Pep Guardiola’s team will have to make do with the Premier League title whereas Liverpool will go into Friday’s draw because over the two legs they were more clinical during their spells of superiority.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To survive, get by (with), or use whatever is available (due to lack of resources)."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "survive",
          "survive"
        ],
        [
          "get by",
          "get by"
        ],
        [
          "use",
          "use"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive, idiomatic, informal) To survive, get by (with), or use whatever is available (due to lack of resources)."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic",
        "informal",
        "intransitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English informal terms",
        "English transitive verbs"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Make the movie do! (Put on the movie!)"
        },
        {
          "text": "Brandon’s makin’ the grill do so we can get to eatin’."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To put into action."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "action",
          "action"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive, informal) To put into action."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "informal",
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English informal terms",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English transitive verbs"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1902, Lina Beard with Adelia Belle Beard, What a girl can make and do: new ideas for work and play, page 7:",
          "text": "A poor screw-driver is one of the most exasperating of poor tools, and a trial to one's patience and temper; besides, it is of little use attempting to \"make it do,\" for it seldom will do.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1920, George F. Johnson, “How Do You Suppose We Make a Success of Our Business?”, in American review of shoes and leather, volumes 35-38:",
          "text": "It is not the same hide but we make it do. You work harder to make it into good leather and harder to make it into good shoes, and we get by.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2005, Trevanian, The crazyladies of Pearl Street, page 65:",
          "text": "She had dozens of ways to make something ‘do’ for another week or month. Skillful with a needle, she could darn and re- darn our socks without making the heel or toe uncomfortably thick",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To use for one's purpose something worn, defective, or intended for another purpose."
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive, informal) To use for one's purpose something worn, defective, or intended for another purpose."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "informal",
        "transitive"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "En-au-make do.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/6/69/En-au-make_do.ogg/En-au-make_do.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/69/En-au-make_do.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "sense": "to get by (with)",
      "word": "湊合"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "còuhe",
      "sense": "to get by (with)",
      "word": "凑合"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "sense": "to get by (with)",
      "word": "將就"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "jiāngjiu",
      "sense": "to get by (with)",
      "word": "将就"
    },
    {
      "code": "cs",
      "lang": "Czech",
      "sense": "to get by (with)",
      "word": "vystačit"
    },
    {
      "code": "da",
      "lang": "Danish",
      "sense": "to get by (with)",
      "word": "klare sig (med)"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "to get by (with)",
      "word": "genoegen nemen"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to get by (with)",
      "word": "pärjätä"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to get by (with)",
      "word": "kelvata"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to get by (with)",
      "word": "tulla toimeen"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "to get by (with)",
      "word": "faire avec"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "to get by (with)",
      "word": "se débrouiller"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "to get by (with)",
      "word": "sich begnügen"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "to get by (with)",
      "word": "sich behelfen"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "to get by (with)",
      "word": "auskommen"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "to get by (with)",
      "word": "sich abfinden"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "to get by (with)",
      "word": "vorliebnehmen"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "to get by (with)",
      "word": "klarkommen"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "to get by (with)",
      "word": "hinkommen"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "to get by (with)",
      "word": "hinlangen"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "to get by (with)",
      "word": "hinreichen"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "to get by (with)",
      "word": "vorlieb nehmen"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "to get by (with)",
      "word": "zufriedengeben"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "to get by (with)",
      "word": "zurechtkommen"
    },
    {
      "code": "el",
      "lang": "Greek",
      "roman": "angarévo",
      "sense": "to get by (with)",
      "word": "αγγαρεύω"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "to get by (with)",
      "word": "kijön"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "to get by (with)",
      "word": "kihúz"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "to get by (with)",
      "word": "megél"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "to get by (with)",
      "word": "boldogul"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "to get by (with)",
      "word": "elboldogul"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "to get by (with)",
      "word": "beéri"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "to get by (with)",
      "word": "megelégszik"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "to get by (with)",
      "word": "farcela"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "to get by (with)",
      "word": "arrangiarsi"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "to get by (with)",
      "word": "far funzionare"
    },
    {
      "alt": "まにあわせる",
      "code": "ja",
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "roman": "maniawaseru",
      "sense": "to get by (with)",
      "word": "間に合わせる"
    },
    {
      "code": "ja",
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "roman": "yarikuri suru",
      "sense": "to get by (with)",
      "word": "やりくりする"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "to get by (with)",
      "word": "radzić sobie"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "to get by (with)",
      "tags": [
        "imperfective"
      ],
      "word": "obywać się"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "to get by (with)",
      "tags": [
        "perfective"
      ],
      "word": "obyć się"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "to get by (with)",
      "word": "sobreviver"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "spravljátʹsja",
      "sense": "to get by (with)",
      "tags": [
        "imperfective"
      ],
      "word": "справля́ться"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "správitʹsja",
      "sense": "to get by (with)",
      "tags": [
        "perfective"
      ],
      "word": "спра́виться"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "obxodítʹsja",
      "sense": "to get by (with)",
      "tags": [
        "imperfective"
      ],
      "word": "обходи́ться"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "obojtísʹ",
      "sense": "to get by (with)",
      "tags": [
        "perfective"
      ],
      "word": "обойти́сь"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "to get by (with)",
      "word": "conformarse"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "to get by (with)",
      "word": "componérselas"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "to get by (with)",
      "word": "arreglárselas"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "to get by (with)",
      "word": "apañarse"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "to get by (with)",
      "word": "hacerse a las armas"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "to get by (with)",
      "word": "ingeniárselas"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "to get by (with)",
      "word": "klara"
    },
    {
      "code": "tr",
      "lang": "Turkish",
      "sense": "to get by (with)",
      "word": "yetinmek"
    },
    {
      "code": "tr",
      "lang": "Turkish",
      "sense": "to get by (with)",
      "word": "idare etmek"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "to use for one's purpose something worn, defective, or intended for another purpose",
      "word": "quebrar o galho"
    }
  ],
  "word": "make do"
}

Download raw JSONL data for make do meaning in English (9.7kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-11-06 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-10-02 using wiktextract (fbeafe8 and 7f03c9b). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.