make the grade
To prove satisfactory; to be successful or worthy of merit.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“He worked hard, but he did not make the grade.”
“You need a high score to make the grade for this team.”
“Does this cheap camera make the grade for professional work?”
“She practiced every day for the audition, hoping she would finally make the grade.”
“The new software update did not make the grade because it kept crashing during the final testing phase.”
“After three months of training, the manager decided that the new recruit simply did not make the grade.”
“The restaurant critic said the food was tasty, but the slow service meant the dining experience didn't quite make the grade for a five-star review.”
“Despite his extensive experience in the field, he failed to make the grade during the final round of the rigorous selection process.”
disputed origin
The idiom is probably derived from the late 19th-century railway practice of a train successfully climbing a steep incline, or grade. It suggests a locomotive possessing sufficient power to ascend a sloping length of track without stalling, though the story remains a popular but unproven theory of the term's origin.
- 01
absence makes the heart grow fonder
One feels more love or affection for those one loves when parted from them.
- 02
cannot make it
Cannot reach satisfactory or expected standards or do something competently; describes someone in a hopeless situation.
- 03
doctors make the worst patients
It is difficult to advise people on subjects that they are experts on.
- 04
enough to make a cat laugh
Very outlandish or outrageous.
- 05
enough to make the angels weep
Something so distressing that it causes one to lose hope and faith.
- 06
fine feathers make fine birds
Something that appears beautiful or good is by definition beautiful or good.
- 07
have it made
To have accomplished all there is to do; to have no further work or difficulty.
- 08
it takes all kinds to make a world
Diversity is essential: the world would be incomplete if everyone were alike; an expression of surprise at a person or people's eccentricity.
Last updated August 10, 2026