make good
Idioms-
Carry out successfully, make sure of, as in He made good his escape . This usage was first recorded in 1606.
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Fulfill, as in She made good her promise . This usage was first recorded in Miles Coverdale's 1535 translation of the Bible (II Chronicles 6:16): “Make good unto my father, David ... that which thou hast promised him.”
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Compensate for, make up for, as in They made good the loss . This usage first appeared in William Langland's Piers Ploughman (1377).
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Succeed, as in He made good as a writer . [c. 1900]
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.
Of all the conditions that make childbearing seem possible, one is the most deceptively simple: increasing the number of men who would make good fathers.
From Slate ● Jul. 6, 2026
Despite the turnout, there was something strained and desperate about the whole enterprise, like they are the few still holding onto hope that anti-feminism can make good on its promises.
From Salon ● Jun. 12, 2026
He has already started to make good on that, with a 35-ball 50 against Derbyshire, and excellent economy rates as a bowler in his opening three matches.
From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2026
He also said that people who read financial columnists or listen to financial podcasts “don’t make good clients.”
From MarketWatch ● May 27, 2026
It wouldn’t make good eating, but it’d be better than nothing.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
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.
