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Synonyms

made-up

American  
[mayd-uhp] / ˈmeɪdˈʌp /

adjective

  1. concocted; falsely fabricated or invented.

    a made-up story.

  2. being in makeup; wearing facial cosmetics.

  3. put together; finished.


made-up British  

adjective

  1. invented; fictional

    a made-up story

  2. wearing make-up

    a well made-up woman

  3. put together; assembled

  4. (of a road) surfaced with asphalt, concrete, etc

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of made-up

First recorded in 1600–10

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

“The Odyssey” is a made-up story, and the characters of a made-up story can look however we want them to.

From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2026

After 120 minutes of action, you’re tied up against our made-up team and the match is heading to penalties.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026

Talarico might as well throw some weird made-up insinuations at Paxton to keep up.

From Slate ● May 30, 2026

The Speaker of parliament has already formed the impeachment committee, made-up of 31 MPs from 16 political parties, including nine from the ANC, the leading member of the governing coalition.

From BBC ● May 26, 2026

It’s as if he’s covered with a made-up language.

From "I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter" by Erika L. Sánchez

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