Make up for meaning
Make up for means to do something good because you did something bad or missed something. It can also mean to be good enough that a bad thing does not matter so much.
make up for something
make up for · made · making
I’m sorry I was late. Let me make up for it with dinner.
Make up for meanings and examples
2 meanings, each with its own CEFR level from Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries and the Cambridge Dictionary.
-
1
Do something good because you did something bad or missed something
make up for something
- I’m sorry I was late. Let me make up for it with dinner.
- She studied all weekend to make up for the lessons she missed.
- We’re travelling a lot now to make up for lost time.
-
2
Be good enough that a bad thing does not matter so much
make up for something
- The amazing view made up for the long climb.
- Great food doesn’t make up for rude waiters.
- Does a big salary make up for a boring job?
Café orders
New friends
At the airport
Slova
Use make up for in real conversations
- Learn new words with picture cards
- Talk with Felix, an AI tutor, about the things you love
- Short lessons at your level, a few minutes a day
Is make up for separable?
Make up for is a three-word verb and you cannot split it. The object always comes at the end: make up for the delay, make up for it.
To say who you want to thank or apologise to, use make it up to someone: Sorry I forgot your birthday. I’ll make it up to you.
Verb tenses for make up for
| Present | I make up for · she makes up for |
|---|---|
| Past | made up for |
| Present perfect | have made up for |
| -ing form | making up for |
Common mistakes with make up for
What learners often say, and what to say instead.
Wrong: I’ll make up the mistake for you.
Right: I’ll make up for the mistake.
Keep make up for together, with the thing at the end.
Wrong: Sorry I missed your party. I’ll make up for you.
Right: Sorry I missed your party. I’ll make it up to you.
For a person, say make it up to someone.
Wrong: Nothing can make up the time we lost.
Right: Nothing can make up for the time we lost.
Without for, make up has a different meaning.
Synonyms and opposites of make up for
Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.
Similar
- compensate forthe formal word with the same meaning
- make amendsformal; do something good to show you are sorry
- pay backgive back money you borrowed, not balance something bad
Make up for quiz
Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
-
1The hotel was small, but the beach ___ it.
The beach was so good that the small hotel did not matter.
-
2Choose the right sentence.
Use make it up to someone when you mean the person you hurt.
-
3Tom missed two weeks of school. What should he do?
He needs to do extra work because he missed lessons.
More phrasal verbs with make
3 phrasal verbs start with make. Test yourself on all of them in a few minutes.
Make up for FAQ
Questions people ask about make up for.
What does make up for lost time mean?
It means do a lot of something now because you could not do it before. After years at home, she travels all the time to make up for lost time.
Is it make up for or make up to?
Make up for goes with the bad thing: make up for the mistake. Make it up to goes with the person: I’ll make it up to you.
Is make up for formal?
No, it is neutral and very common in speech. Compensate for means the same and sounds more formal.
Use make up for in real conversations
In Slova you learn new words with picture cards, then use them when you talk about the things you love. A few minutes a day, at your level.