Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

make do

Word Rarity Common

Frequency: Zipf frequency 5.89 in modern English

Syllables: make -do
IPA

13

Scrabble Score

6

Letters

2

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To survive, get by (with), or use whatever is available (due to lack of resources).

Informal; Intransitive verb

verb

To put into action.

Informal; Transitive verb

verb

To use for one's purpose something worn, defective, or intended for another purpose.

Informal; Transitive verb

Example Sentences

"There is barely enough money, so we will have to make do with what we have."
"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."
"Make the movie do! (Put on the movie!)"
"Brandon’s makin’ the grill do so we can get to eatin’."
"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."
"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."

Usage

Inflected Forms

makes do (present, singular) making do (participle, present) made do (participle, past) made do (past)

Phrases

make-do make it do or do without make do and mend eke out get by settle for

Frequently Paired Words

eke out get by settle for

Synonyms

cope get by make out contend grapple deal manage

Questions

What does make do mean?: To survive, get by (with), or use whatever is available (due to lack of resources).

How to pronounce make do

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “make do”.
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