make-believe

[ meyk-bi-leev ]

/ ˈmeɪk bɪˌliv /

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noun

pretense, especially of an innocent or playful kind; feigning; sham: the make-believe of children playing.

a pretender; a person who pretends.

adjective

pretended; feigned; imaginary; made-up; unreal: a make-believe world of fantasy.

Nearby words

make way, make whoopee, make with, make-ahead, make-and-break, make-believe, make-do, make-or-break, make-peace, make-ready, make-up

Origin of make-believe

First recorded in 1805–15

Definition for make believe (2 of 2)

make

[ meyk ]

/ meɪk /

verb (used with object), made, mak·ing.

to bring into existence by shaping or changing material, combining parts, etc.: to make a dress; to make a channel; to make a work of art.

to produce; cause to exist or happen; bring about: to make trouble; to make war.

to cause to be or become; render: to make someone happy.

to appoint or name: The president made her his special envoy.

to put in the proper condition or state, as for use; fix; prepare: to make a bed; to make dinner.

to bring into a certain form: to make bricks out of clay.

to convert from one state, condition, category, etc., to another: to make a virtue of one's vices.

to cause, induce, or compel: to make a horse jump a barrier.

to give rise to; occasion: It's not worth making a fuss over such a trifle.

to produce, earn, or win for oneself: to make a good salary; to make one's fortune in oil.

to write or compose: to make a short poem for the occasion.

to draw up, as a legal document; draft: to make a will.

to do; effect: to make a bargain.

to establish or enact; put into existence: to make laws.

to become by development; prove to be: You'll make a good lawyer.

to form in the mind, as a judgment or estimate: to make a decision.

to judge or interpret, as to the truth, nature, meaning, etc. (often followed by of): What do you make of it?

to estimate; reckon: to make the distance at ten miles.

to bring together separate parts so as to produce a whole; compose; form: to make a matched set.

to amount to; bring up the total to: Two plus two makes four. That makes an even dozen.

to serve as: to make good reading.

to be sufficient to constitute: One story does not make a writer.

to be adequate or suitable for: This wool will make a warm sweater.

to assure the success or fortune of: a deal that could make or break him; Seeing her made my day.

to deliver, utter, or put forth: to make a stirring speech.

to go or travel at a particular speed: to make 60 miles an hour.

to arrive at or reach; attain: The ship made port on Friday. Do you think he'll make 80?

to arrive in time for: to make the first show.

to arrive in time to be a passenger on (a plane, boat, bus, train, etc.): If you hurry, you can make the next flight.

Informal. to gain or acquire a position within: He made the big time.

to receive mention or appear in or on: The robbery made the front page.

to gain recognition or honor by winning a place or being chosen for inclusion in or on: The novel made the bestseller list. He made the all-American team three years in a row.

Slang. to have sexual intercourse with.

Cards.

to name (the trump).
to take a trick with (a card).
Bridge. to fulfill or achieve (a contract or bid).
to shuffle (the cards).

to earn, as a score: The team made 40 points in the first half.

Slang. (especially in police and underworld use)

to recognize or identify: Any cop in town will make you as soon as you walk down the street.
to charge or cause to be charged with a crime: The police expect to make a couple of suspects soon.

to close (an electric circuit).

South Midland and Southern U.S. to plant and cultivate or produce (a crop): He makes some of the best corn in the country.

verb (used without object), made, mak·ing.

to cause oneself, or something understood, to be as specified: to make sure.

to show oneself to be or seem in action or behavior (usually followed by an adjective): to make merry.

to be made, as specified: This fabric makes up into beautiful drapes.

to move or proceed in a particular direction: They made after the thief.

to rise, as the tide or water in a ship.

South Midland and Southern U.S. (of a crop) to grow, develop, or mature: It looks like the corn's going to make pretty good this year.

make down, Chiefly Pennsylvania German. to rain or snow: It's making down hard.

make fast, Chiefly Nautical. to fasten or secure.

make shut, Chiefly Pennsylvania German. to close: Make the door shut.

noun

the style or manner in which something is made; form; build.

production with reference to the manufacturer; brand: our own make.

disposition; character; nature.

the act or process of making.

quantity made; output.

Cards. the act of naming the trump, or the suit named as trump.

Electricity. the closing of an electric circuit.

Jewelry. the excellence of a polished diamond with regard to proportion, symmetry, and finish.

Slang. identifying information about a person or thing from police records: He radioed headquarters for a make on the car's license plate.

Verb Phrases

make out,

to write out or complete, as a bill or check.
to establish; prove.
to decipher; discern.
to imply, suggest, or impute: He made me out to be a liar.
to manage; succeed: How are you making out in your new job?
Slang. to engage in kissing and caressing; neck.
Slang. to have sexual intercourse.
Chiefly Pennsylvania German. to turn off or extinguish (especially a light or fire): Make the light out.

make over,

to remodel; alter: to make over a dress; to make over a page layout.
to transfer the title of (property); convey: After she retired she made over her property to her children and moved to Florida.

make for,

to go toward; approach: to make for home.
to lunge at; attack.
to help to promote or maintain: This incident will not make for better understanding between the warring factions.

make off,

to run away; depart hastily: The only witness to the accident made off before the police arrived.
Nautical. to stand off from a coast, especially a lee shore.

make off with, to carry away; steal: While the family was away, thieves made off with most of their valuables.

make on, Chiefly Pennsylvania German. to turn on, light, or ignite (especially a light or fire): Make the light on.

make up,

(of parts) to constitute; compose; form.
to put together; construct; compile.
to concoct; invent.
Also make up for. to compensate for; make good.
to complete.
to put in order; arrange: The maid will make up the room.
to conclude; decide.
to settle amicably, as differences.
to become reconciled, as after a quarrel.
Printing. to arrange set type, illustrations, etc., into columns or pages.
to dress in appropriate costume and apply cosmetics for a part on the stage.
to apply cosmetics.
to adjust or balance, as accounts; prepare, as statements.
Education. to repeat (a course or examination that one has failed).
Education. to take an examination that one had been unable to take when first given, usually because of absence.
to specify and indicate the layout or arrangement of (columns, pages, etc., of matter to be printed).
Atlantic States. (of the weather or clouds) to develop or gather: It's making up for a storm.
Atlantic States. (of the sea) to become turbulent: If the sea makes up, row toward land.

make up to,

Informal. to try to become friendly with; fawn on.
to make advances to; flirt with: He makes up to every new woman in the office.

Origin of make

before 900; Middle English maken, Old English macian; cognate with Low German, Dutch maken, German machen

SYNONYMS FOR make

1 form; build; produce; fabricate, create, fashion, mold.

7 transform, change, turn.

8 force.

10 get, gain, acquire, obtain, secure, procure.

13 perform, execute.

18 judge, gauge.

48 shape, structure, construction, constitution.

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ANTONYMS FOR make

1 destroy.

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Related forms

mak·a·ble, adjective

Synonym study

1. Make, construct, manufacture mean to produce, to put into definite form, or to put parts together to make a whole. Make is the general term: Bees make wax. Construct, more formal, means to put parts together, usually according to a plan or design: to construct a building. Manufacture usually refers to producing something from material that requires conversion from one state or condition to another, now almost entirely by means of machinery in a relatively complex process: to manufacture automobiles by the assembly of different parts. The term is also often used contemptuously of unimaginative or hackneyed works of art with the implication that the work was produced mechanically, and is used abstractly with the idea of denying genuineness: to manufacture an excuse.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for make believe (1 of 3)

make believe

verb

to pretend or enact a fantasythe children made believe they were doctors

noun make-believe

a fantasy, pretence, or unreality
(as modifier)a make-believe world

a person who pretends

British Dictionary definitions for make believe (2 of 3)

make

/ (meɪk) /

verb makes, making or made (mainly tr)

to bring into being by shaping, changing, or combining materials, ideas, etc; form or fashion; createto make a chair from bits of wood; make a poem

to draw up, establish, or formto make a decision; make one's will

to cause to exist, bring about, or producedon't make a noise

to cause, compel, or induceplease make him go away

to appoint or assign, as to a rank or positionthey made him chairman

to constituteone swallow doesn't make a summer

(also intr) to come or cause to come into a specified state or conditionto make merry; make someone happy

(copula) to be or become through developmenthe will make a good teacher

to cause or ensure the success ofyour news has made my day

to amount totwelve inches make a foot

to be part of or a member ofdid she make one of the party?

to serve as or be suitable forthat piece of cloth will make a coat

to prepare or put into a fit condition for useto make a bed

to be the essential element in or part ofcharm makes a good salesman

to carry out, effect, or doto make a gesture

(intr; foll by to, as if to, or as though to) to act with the intention or with a show of doing somethingthey made to go out; he made as if to hit her

to use for a specified purposeI will make this town my base

to deliver or pronounceto make a speech

to judge, reckon, or give one's own opinion or information as towhat time do you make it?

to cause to seem or represent as beingthat furniture makes the room look dark

to earn, acquire, or win for oneselfto make friends; make a fortune

to engage inmake love not war

to traverse or cover (distance) by travellingwe can make a hundred miles by nightfall

to arrive in time forhe didn't make the first act of the play

cards

to win a trick with (a specified card)
to shuffle (the cards)
bridge to fulfil (a contract) by winning the necessary number of tricks

cricket to score (runs)

electronics to close (a circuit) permitting a flow of currentCompare break (def. 44)

(intr) to increase in depththe water in the hold was making a foot a minute

(intr) (of hay) to dry and mature

informal to gain a place or position on or into make the headlines; make the first team

informal to achieve the rank of

slang to seduce

make a book to take bets on a race or other contest

make a day of it to cause an activity to last a day

make a night of it to cause an activity to last a night

make do See do 1 (def. 37)

make eyes at to flirt with or ogle

make good See good (def. 44)

make heavy weather nautical to roll and pitch in heavy seas

make heavy weather of something informal to carry something out with great difficulty or unnecessarily great effort

make it

informal to be successful in doing something
(foll by with) slang to have sexual intercourse
slang to inject a narcotic drug

make like slang, mainly US and Canadian to imitate

make love

to have sexual intercourse
archaic to engage in courtship

make love to someone

to have sexual intercourse with someone
archaic to engage in courtship with someone

make or break to bring success or ruin

make time See time (def. 45)

make water

another term for urinate
(of a boat, hull, etc) to let in water

noun

brand, type, or stylewhat make of car is that?

the manner or way in which something is made

disposition or character; make-up

the act or process of making

the amount or number made

bridge the contract to be played

cards a player's turn to shuffle

on the make

informal out for profit or conquest
slang in search of a sexual partner

Derived Forms

makable, adjective

Word Origin for make

Old English macian; related to Old Frisian makia to construct, Dutch maken, German machen to make

British Dictionary definitions for make believe (3 of 3)

make

/ (meɪk) /

noun archaic

a peer or consort

a mate or spouse

Derived Forms

makeless, adjective

Word Origin for make

Old English gemaca mate; related to match 1

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

Idioms and Phrases with make believe (1 of 2)

make believe

Pretend, as in Let's make believe we're elves. This expression in effect means making oneself believe in an illusion. [Early 1700s]

Idioms and Phrases with make believe (2 of 2)

make

In addition to the idioms beginning with make

make a beeline for
make a break for
make a bundle
make a clean breast of
make a clean sweep
make a comeback
make a crack
make a date
make a day of it
make a dent in
make a difference
make advances
make a face
make a federal case of
make a fool of
make a fortune
make a fuss
make a go of
make a hash of
make a hit
make a hole in
make a killing
make a laughingstock of
make a living
make allowance for
make a long story short
make amends
make a monkey out of
make a mountain out of a molehill
make a name for oneself
make an appearance
make an appointment
make an ass of
make an end of
make an example of
make an exception
make an exhibition of oneself
make a night of it
make an impression
make a note of
make a nuisance of oneself
make a pass at
make a pig of oneself
make a pile
make a pitch for
make a play for
make a point of
make a practice of
make arrangements for
make a run for
make a scene
make as if
make a silk purse
make a stab at
make a stand
make a statement
make a stink
make a virtue of necessity
make away with
make bail
make believe
make bold
make book
make bricks without straw
make capital out of
make conversation
make demands on
make do
make ends meet
make eyes at
make fast work of
make for
make free with
make friends
make fun of
make good
make good time
make great strides
make haste
make hay while the sun shines
make head or tail of
make headway
make heavy weather
make history
make inroads into
make it
make it hot for
make it one's business
make it snappy
make it up
make it with
make light of
make like
make little of
make love
make mincemeat of
make mischief
make much of
make my day
make no bones about
make no difference
make no mistake
make nothing of
make off
make one's bed and lie in it
make one's blood boil
make one's blood run cold
make one's day
make one's ears burn
make oneself at home
make oneself scarce
make one's flesh creep
make one's hair stand on end
make one's head spin
make one sick
make one's mark
make one's mouth water
make one's peace with
make one's point
make one's way
make or break
make out
make out like a bandit
make over
make peace
make ready
make rounds
make sail
make sense
make short work of
make someone look good
make something of
make sport of
make stick
make sure
make the bed
make the best of it
make the dust fly
make the grade
make the most of
make the rounds
make the scene
make the sparks fly
make time
make tracks
make up
make up for lost time
make up one's mind
make up to
make use of
make waves
make way
make whoopee
make with

also see:

absence makes the heart grow fonder
all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear
can't make head or tail of
kiss and make up
many hands make light work
might makes right
on the make
practice makes perfect
put in (make) an appearance
put the make on
run for it, make a
that makes two of us
two wrongs do not make a right
what makes one tick

Also see undermade.

make-believe

noun

adjective

RELATED CONTENT

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of make-believe

Definition for make believe (2 of 2)

make

verb (used with object), made, mak·ing.

verb (used without object), made, mak·ing.

noun

Verb Phrases

Origin of make

SYNONYMS FOR make

ANTONYMS FOR make

Related forms

Synonym study

British Dictionary definitions for make believe (1 of 3)

make believe

verb

noun make-believe

British Dictionary definitions for make believe (2 of 3)

make

verb makes, making or made (mainly tr)

noun

Derived Forms

Word Origin for make

British Dictionary definitions for make believe (3 of 3)

make

noun archaic

Derived Forms

Word Origin for make

Idioms and Phrases with make believe (1 of 2)

make believe

Idioms and Phrases with make believe (2 of 2)

make