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made

v. · adj.
US //ˈmeɪd// UK //mˈeɪd// made
  1. 1 created or produced (v.)
    A1 Beginner

    the past form of 'make' used when you created or built something.

    the past tense and past participle of 'make' in the sense of creating, constructing, or producing an object or result.

    Example

    I made a delicious sandwich for lunch today.

    Example

    The artisan made each cabinet by hand, ensuring that the joints were perfectly flush and the finish was consistent across the entire suite.

    Pitfall
    The cake was made from my mother.
    The cake was made by my mother.

    Use 'by' to show the person who created something, and 'from' or 'of' to show the ingredients.

  2. 2 forced to do something (v.)
    A2 Elementary

    the past form of 'make' used when you forced someone to do something.

    the past tense and past participle of 'make' used as a causative verb to indicate compulsion or necessity.

    Example

    My parents made me clean my room before I could go outside.

    Example

    The sudden change in regulations made the company restructure its entire legal department within a single fiscal quarter.

    Usage

    In the passive voice, 'to' is required: 'He was made to clean the room.'

    Pitfall
    They made him to clean the room.
    They made him clean the room.

    In the active voice, 'make' is followed by an object and a base verb without 'to'.

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  1. 3 manufactured (adj.)
    A1 Beginner

    describes where or how something was produced.

    a participial adjective indicating the origin or method of manufacture, typically followed by a prepositional phrase.

    Example

    This shirt is made of 100% cotton.

    Example

    The label confirmed the garment was made in Italy using traditional weaving techniques that have remained unchanged for centuries.

Etymology 1

From Middle English mathe, from Old English maþu, maþa (“maggot, worm, grub”), from Proto-Germanic maþô (“maggot”), from Proto-Indo-European mot- (“worm, grub, caterpillar, moth”). Cognate with Scots mathe, maithe (“maggot”), Dutch made (“maggot”), German Made (“maggot”). More at maggot.

Etymology 2

From Middle English made, makede, makode (preterite) and maad, mad, maked (past participle), from Old English macode (first and third person preterite) and macod, gemacode, ġemacod (past participle), from macian (“to make”). More at make.

Word family
Idioms8 entries

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