made

American  

[meyd] / meɪd /

verb

1. simple past tense and past participle of make.

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adjective

1. produced by making, preparing, etc., in a particular way (often used in combination).

   well-made garments.

2. artificially produced.

   made fur.

3. invented or made-up.

   to tell made stories about oneself.

4. prepared, especially from several ingredients.

   a made dish.

5. assured of success or fortune.

   a made man.

idioms

1. have it made,

   1. to be assured or confident of success.

      With a straight A average he's got it made.

   2. to have achieved success, especially wealth, status, or the like.

made British  

/ meɪd /

verb

1. the past tense and past participle of make 1

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adjective

1. artificially produced

2. (in combination) produced or shaped as specified

   handmade

3. informal to be assured of success

4. very rich

made More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing made

• have it made
• make

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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.

As an adjective, made describes something as having been produced or manufactured in a specific way.

• Used in a sentence: The bridge was well made and lasted for centuries.

Made can also describe something as being ensured future success or having a very bright future. Usually, this sense refers to a person being very rich or having a luxurious lifestyle. This sense is used in the phrase to have it made.

• Used in a sentence: With her hundreds of servants to wait on her, Lori’s got it made!

Other Word Forms

• half-made adjective
• undermade adjective

Etymology

Origin of made

First recorded in 1350–1400, for the adjective

Example Sentences

Dozens of companies around the world run such networks, which are made up of consumer devices like phones, computers and video players.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

Her dad said afterward that acid reflux had made her vocal cords swell, necessitating the last-minute switch from live to Memorex.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 2, 2026

Over the past 12 months, Tesla has made roughly 43,000 more cars than it sold.

From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026

Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign are studying how microwave frying can improve the way French fries are made.

From Science Daily • Apr. 2, 2026

To know if the wolf had even made it out of Deadwood?

From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman