made
Americanverb
adjective
idioms
verb
adjective
-
artificially produced
-
(in combination) produced or shaped as specified
handmade
-
informal to be assured of success
-
very rich
Usage
What is a basic definition of made? Made is the past tense and past participle of the verb make, meaning to create from materials. As an adjective, made describes something as being built or fashioned in a certain way or something that is guaranteed to have success or good fortune in the future. Made has a few other senses as an adjective. Made is a past tense verb that means to have been produced, fashioned, or built out of materials or components.
- Real-life examples: Many products are made in China. Toys, electronics, furniture, and many other things are made in factories. Spider webs are made by spiders.
- Used in a sentence: Maria’s kids made a big mess in the living room.
- Used in a sentence: The bridge was well made and lasted for centuries.
- Used in a sentence: With her hundreds of servants to wait on her, Lori’s got it made!
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of made
First recorded in 1350–1400, for the adjective
Explanation
Something that's made is created, crafted, or invented, A locally made blanket is crocheted or woven in your state or region. You'll most often find the adjective made in combination with another word, like hand, U.S., or sustainably. A hand-made quilt, for example, is sewn without a machine. A made bed, on the other hand, is one that's got its sheets tucked in and blankets pulled neatly up, and a "made man" is a guy whose future success is all settled.
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.
The biggest portion of their audience, 34.2%, is made up of Gen Z and young millennials ages 25 to 34, followed by 26% who are 35 to 44 and 14.7% who are 45 to 54.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 7, 2026
Each of those mayors invested vast sums of money and manpower and each of them made inroads.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 7, 2026
However, on Saturday, New Zealand made light of the blustery and difficult conditions inside Newcastle's McDonald Jones Stadium, in New South Wales, to make their case as potential winners.
From BBC ● Nov. 7, 2026
Described in the catalog as a “hanging, nine-lobed, single-layered continuous form,” made of a skein of finely looped copper and nickel wire, it resembles so many baskets hanging from a chain.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 7, 2026
At the end, though, his honesty and dignity made them admire Sancho Panza as a human being.
From "Adventures of Don Quixote" by Argentina Palacios
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.