From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishmake up phrasal verb1 form/be make up somethingCONSIST OF/BE MADE OFBE to combine together to form something SYN constitute Women make up only a small proportion of the prison population.be made up of something The committee is made up of representatives from every state.GRAMMAR: Using the progressive• Make up is not used in the progressive in this meaning. You say: Oxygen makes up roughly 20% of the atmosphere. ✗Don’t say: Oxygen is making up roughly 20% of the atmosphere.• However, the participle form making up is often used: Customers under 25 are important, making up a quarter of the total.2 pretend something is true make something ↔ upINVENT to pretend that something is true in order to deceive someone I think they’re making the whole thing up. → made-up(1)3 invent make something ↔ up to produce a new story, song, game etc by thinking Nick made up a song about them. When you’re the boss you can make up your own rules. I’ve given talks so many times that now I just make them up as I go along (=think of things to say as I am speaking).4 prepare make something ↔ upPREPARE to prepare something by mixing things or putting things together I could make up a bed for you on the sofa. Can you make up a bottle of milk for the baby?5 somebody’s faceDCB make somebody ↔ up to put make-up (=special coloured substances) on someone’s face in order to make them look better or different They made him up as an old man for the last act of the play. One lucky winner will have the chance to be made up and photographed. ► Do not use the verb ‘make up’ when you are talking about putting make-up on your own face. Say that you put on (your) make-up. → made-up(2)6 number/amount make something ↔ up especially British EnglishCOMPLETE to add to an amount in order to bring it up to the level that is needed I saved as much as I could, and my parents made up the rest. The company will be forced to pay $6 million to make up the difference.7 time/work make something ↔ upEQUAL to work at times when you do not usually work, because you have not done as much work as you should I’m trying to make up the time I lost while I was sick. Is it OK if I make the work up next week? 8 friends (also make it up) informalFRIEND to become friendly with someone again after you have had an argument with Have you made up with Patty yet? Oh come on! Why don’t you just kiss and make up?9 from cloth make something ↔ upDL to produce something from cloth by cutting and sewing The dress had been made up to her exact requirements.make something ↔ up into I plan on making that material up into a dress. → make up your mind at mind1(3) → make→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
make up• You don't have to tell him why, just make something up.• I'm glad to see you two have made up.• I gave her my name, then made up a telephone number with a Los Angeles area code.• The remaining budget was made up by personal contributions-student loans!-from the team members.• It was along this thread of a path that Mary made up her mind to go.• "You're saying you think Bobby just made it up?" "I think he believes it, but I'm not sure it's true."• Ecosystems in the wild are made up of patches.• When my mother was in a good mood, she would make up songs about us.• For Halloween, the children made up stories about wolves and witches.• This contains the pattern of dots that, when printed on paper, will make up the actual character.• If you haven't got enough to pay for that, I can make up the difference.• It is these that make up the matter we see today and out of which we ourselves are made.• We need two more players to make up the team.• Have you made it up with your sister yet?• That's a good riddle. Did you make it up yourself?be made up of something• The Certificate is made up of a range of foundation units with specialist options.• Explanation White light is made up of all the colors you can see in a rainbow.• And each microbe was made up of atoms and molecules.• Brand A is made up of four packs each containing a full day's food.• Our company of friends is made up of two different groups.• Because management is made up of virtually constant negotiation and adjustment it can only flourish in the context of other people.make up the difference• Alternatively, why not turn to male school leavers to make up the difference?• Both say they would cut government programs to make up the difference.• But as oil reserves dwindled over the past decade, local school property taxes doubled to help make up the difference.• But Barry and Dehere made up the difference.• Equity investors have made up the difference.• This meant that state pensions would be reduced, but the private scheme must then guarantee to at least make up the difference.• Where they are disadvantaged, women make up the difference.• The University of Maryland System could provide that, but Maryland taxpayers should not make up the difference; federal taxpayers should.kiss and make up• I think they just fight because they like to kiss and make up.• Want to show a husband and wife having a fight, then kissing and making up?• We wouldn't kiss and make up later.• Until, of course, Coleman returned the next day for practice and kissed and made up with his coach and teammates.make into• On the contrary, it made him blaze up into action.ldoce_213_emake-upˈmake-up, makeup /ˈmeɪkʌp/ ●●○ noun 1 for your face [uncountable]DCBAPT coloured substances that are put on your face to improve or change your appearance I don’t usually wear much make-up. → make up at make12 people in a group [singular]GROUP OF PEOPLEGROUP OF THINGS the make-up of a group or team is the combination of people that are in itmake-up of We should change the make-up of the team.3 → somebody’s make-up4 test [countable] (also make-up test) American EnglishSES a test that you take in school when you were not able to take a previous testCOLLOCATIONSverbswear make-upThey’re not allowed to wear make-up to school.have make-up on (=be wearing make-up)She had no make-up on.use make-upShe rarely uses make-up.put on make-up (also apply make-up formal)Gloria watched her mother put on her make-up.do your make-up (=put on make-up)I’ll do your make-up for you, if you want.take off make-up (also remove make-up formal)Take off eye make-up gently, using a cotton ball.touch up/fix your make-up (=put a little more make-up on after some has come off)She went into the bathroom to touch up her makeup.smudge your make-up (=accidentally rub it so that it spreads to areas where you do not want it)Grace wiped her eyes, smudging her make-up.ADJECTIVES/NOUN + make-upheavy make-up (=a lot of make-up)a girl in high heels and heavy make-upeye make-upShe was wearing far too much eye make-up.stage make-up (=make-up that actors wear in plays)the elaborate stage make-up for ‘The Lion King’pancake make-up (=very thick make-up worn by actors)His face was covered by thick pancake makeup.make-up + NOUNa make-up artist (=someone whose job is to put make-up on actors, people appearing on television etc)the chief make-up artist on the filmTHESAURUSmake-up coloured substances that are put on your face to improve or change your appearanceI don’t usually wear much make-up.cosmetics creams, powders etc that you use on your face and body in order to look more attractivea range of cosmetics and toiletrieslipstick a substance you use for adding colour to your lips, in the shape of a small stickShe was wearing bright red lipstick.eyeshadow coloured cream or powder that you put on your eyelidseyeliner something you use for adding a line of colour at the edges of your eyelids to make your eyes look bigger or more noticeablemascara a dark substance you use to colour your eyelashes and make them look thickerblusher (also blush American English, rouge old-fashioned) red or pink cream or powder used for making your cheeks look slightly more pinkfoundation a cream the same colour as your skin that you put on your face before the rest of your make-upExamples from the Corpus
make-up• He noticed the artful make-up, the elegant hair style.• Neil Kinnock's clothes, make-up, speeches, audiences, responses and, of course, policies were all decided for him.• Her constant attempts to justify her actions tell the reader a lot about her emotional make-up.• This behaviour is part of our genetic make-up rather than our cultural conditioning.• The sinewy neck and its prominent adam's apple, the all-too-heavy make-up, the pronounced muscles on the legs and arms.• With regard to his mental make-up, his disposition is basically friendly and peaceful; he is faithful, obedient and willing to work.• If you do use them, make sure that your lashes are free of all traces of make-up.• According to our make-up so will be our reaction.• In this way, he gained a lot of insight into the psychological make-up of different sheep in his flock.• It's not in their make-up to accept defeat.• They would always be busy putting on their make-up and brushing their hair.From Longman Business Dictionarymake up something phrasal verb [transitive]1to combine together to form a particular total or resultPlastic bags now make up 60% of all bags used in grocery stores.2to prepare somethingYour accountant will make up your accounts and prepare your tax return. → make→ See Verb table 