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
Daniello stayed in the Netherlands, where he has been able to make good money and where his healthcare plan costs him roughly 350 euros a month.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 28, 2026
Miliband's advocates argue that he is exactly the kind of chancellor Burnham would need to make good on his ambitions to transform the British economy.
From BBC • Jun. 24, 2026
That’s likely to boost other energy sources such as coal, renewables and nuclear power, especially if the Iranians make good on threats to eventually charge fees for Hormuz transit, said Sarah Emerson with ESAI.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 18, 2026
“So,” I said, “we do not do enough for you. These are fine words from an eldest son. They do not make good hearing.”
From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya
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.
