Dictionary

make do en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio

Meanings

1. (idiomatic, informal, intransitive) To survive, get by (with), or use whatever is available (due to lack of resources).
   • Pep Guardiola’s team will have to make do with the Premier League title whereas Liverpool will go into Friday’s draw because over the two legs they were more clinical during their spells of superiority. 2018 April 10, Daniel Taylor, “Liverpool go through after Mohamed Salah stops Manchester City fightback”, in The Guardian (London):
   • There is barely enough money, so we will have to make do with what we have.
2. (informal, transitive) To put into action.
   • Make the movie do! (Put on the movie!)
   • Brandon’s makin’ the grill do so we can get to eatin’.
3. (informal, transitive) To use for one's purpose something worn, defective, or intended for another purpose.
   • It is not the same hide but we make it do. You work harder to make it into good leather and harder to make it into good shoes, and we get by. 1920, George F. Johnson, “How Do You Suppose We Make a Success of Our Business?”, in American review of shoes and leather, volumes 35-38:
   • A poor screw-driver is one of the most exasperating of poor tools, and a trial to one's patience and temper; besides, it is of little use attempting to "make it do," for it seldom will do. 1902, Lina Beard with Adelia Belle Beard, What a girl can make and do: new ideas for work and play, page 7:
   • She had dozens of ways to make something ‘do’ for another week or month. Skillful with a needle, she could darn and re- darn our socks without making the heel or toe uncomfortably thick 2005, Trevanian, The crazyladies of Pearl Street, page 65:

Forms

Deriveds

make do and mend · make it do or do without · make-do

Relateds

eke out · settle for · get by

Translations (50)

de auskommen (to get by (with)) · ja 間に合わせる (to get by (with)) · tr idare etmek (to get by (with)) · pl obywać się (to get by (with)) · sv klara (to get by (with)) · pl radzić sobie (to get by (with)) · cmn 湊合 /凑合 (to get by (with)) · de hinlangen (to get by (with)) · de zufriedengeben (to get by (with)) · de klarkommen (to get by (with)) · hu megelégszik (to get by (with)) · ru справля́ться (to get by (with)) · fi pärjätä (to get by (with)) · pl obyć się (to get by (with)) · de vorlieb nehmen (to get by (with)) · de sich behelfen (to get by (with)) · pl zadowalać się (to use for one's purpose something worn, defective, or intended for another purpose) · it farcela (to get by (with)) · it arrangiarsi (to get by (with)) · cmn 將就 /将就 (to get by (with)) · hu megél (to get by (with)) · fi kelvata (to get by (with)) · hu beéri (to get by (with)) · ja やりくりする (to get by (with)) · hu elboldogul (to get by (with)) · cs vystačit (to get by (with)) · pl poradzić sobie (to get by (with)) · ru обходи́ться (to get by (with)) · de vorliebnehmen (to get by (with)) · tr yetinmek (to get by (with)) · fr se débrouiller (to get by (with)) · ru спра́виться (to get by (with)) · fr faire avec (to get by (with)) · ru обойти́сь (to get by (with)) · pl zadowolić się (to use for one's purpose something worn, defective, or intended for another purpose) · hu kijön (to get by (with)) · de hinreichen (to get by (with)) · de sich begnügen (to get by (with)) · pt sobreviver (to get by (with)) · de hinkommen (to get by (with)) · pt quebrar o galho (to use for one's purpose something worn, defective, or intended for another purpose) · de sich abfinden (to get by (with)) · hu kihúz (to get by (with)) · nl genoegen nemen (to get by (with)) · da klare sig (med) (to get by (with)) · de zurechtkommen (to get by (with)) · el αγγαρεύω (to get by (with)) · fi tulla toimeen (to get by (with)) · it far funzionare (to get by (with)) · hu boldogul (to get by (with))