make-do
noun
something that serves as a substitute, especially of an inferior or expedient nature.
make-do
American
[meyk-doo]
/ ˈmeɪkˌdu /
noun
-
make-dos
plural
adjective
make do
Idioms
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of make-do
First recorded in 1890–95
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 foundational text of Parton’s career, this 1971 single lovingly details her mother’s make-do resilience, stitching a fall coat from scraps of cloth in the spirit of a beloved Bible story.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026
Instead, Ukrainians are showing the resilience and make-do attitude that have frustrated Moscow’s efforts to pummel them into submission.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 26, 2026
Her upbringing during the war instilled in Biddy an ability to make-do and mend which later became part of the Blue Peter ethos.
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2025
And its make-do culture, using whatever is at hand, which often led to comical scenes in settings like museums.
From New York Times ● Dec. 11, 2022
“Your make-do is better than the Ritz,” I said, helping myself to some more chicken and dumplings.
From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson
“Coat of Many Colors,” to pick one song, is tender about people who have nothing and make do.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
To keep going, he tries "not to think too much about the problems" and to make do "with the little one has."
From Barron's ● Aug. 4, 2026
Edwards said the club had been unable to pay for winter training facilities on time and coaches had to make do with "worn-out resources".
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
But staff members have had to make do with indoor swamp coolers and fans, said Darlene Lopez, the manager at the animal hospital, in an interview with The Times.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
But I had to make do with two.
From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel
Between those two poles lies the observation that popular collar stay make-dos include paper clips, strips of business cards, and—hat tip to Heloise—wood coffee stirrers.
From Slate ● Mar. 12, 2014
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
