make something of

Idioms  

1. Render important or useful; improve. For example, Dad hoped Tim would make something of himself . [Late 1700s]

2. Give undue importance to something, especially a problem or disagreement, as in Ann decided to make something of it when Bob said women's studies is not a real discipline . This usage sometimes is put as make something out of nothing , as in So what if Jim had coffee with your girlfriend—don't make something out of nothing . For an antonym, see make nothing of , def. 1.

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Example Sentences

One of us has to actually make something of ourselves.

From Literature

Switching into his sincere mode, O’Brien noted the global representation at the awards, of collaborators “working hard to make something of beauty” and making a pitch for “collaboration, patience, resilience and that rarest of of qualities today, optimism.”

From Los Angeles Times

“Every film we salute is a product of thousands of people speaking different language, working hard to make something of beauty,” O’Brien said.

From Los Angeles Times

But I understood if I was going to make something of myself, I had to do it myself.

From The Wall Street Journal

He described his client as an "industrious and hard-working person who wants to make something of his life", and said he was "remorseful" for what happened.

From BBC