makeup

makeup — 動詞

1. to create something by taking separate pieces, parts, or people and putting them

1.動詞及物B1
釋義

組裝；拼湊

將分離的部分組合在一起

to create something by taking separate pieces, parts, or people and putting them together into a single whole

例句

Wei made up a first-aid kit with bandages, ointment, and a pair of scissors.

小偉用繃帶、藥膏和一把剪刀組裝了一個急救箱。

separable: 'made up a kit' or 'made a kit up'

The coach made up a training plan by choosing drills from three different sports.

教練從三種不同運動中挑選訓練動作，拼湊出一份訓練計畫。

同義詞
  • assemble

    more formal, focuses on the mechanical process of putting parts together

  • put together

    same register, interchangeable in most contexts

反義詞

文法句型

make up + noun phrase

make + noun phrase + up

用法筆記

The object can go between 'make' and 'up' (make + object + up) or after 'up' (make up + object). When the object is a pronoun, it must go between: 'make it up', not 'make up it'.

常見錯誤

❌I made up it quickly.
✅I made it up quickly.
💡When the object is a pronoun, it must go between 'made' and 'up'.

2. to arrange text, images, and other elements on a page so that they are ready for

2.動詞及物C1
釋義

排版

將文字圖像排列成印刷版面

to arrange text, images, and other elements on a page so that they are ready for printing or publishing

例句

The designer made up the magazine pages before sending them to the printer.

設計師在將雜誌頁面送去印刷之前先排好版。

technical domain: printing/publishing

Christopher made up the book cover using a layout program on his computer.

Christopher 用電腦排版軟體排好了書封的版面。

同義詞
  • lay out

    more common in modern publishing; 'lay out a page' not 'make up a page'

  • format

    broader, includes digital and print arrangements

文法句型

make up + noun phrase (page, column, layout)

用法筆記

This is a specialist printing and publishing term. In modern contexts it has largely been replaced by 'lay out' or 'design'. The noun form 'makeup' (one word) is still used in publishing for the layout of a page.

3. when numbers, amounts, or groups combine to reach a particular total or percenta

3.動詞及物B1
釋義

佔比；總計

多個部分合起來達到某總數

when numbers, amounts, or groups combine to reach a particular total or percentage

例句

International students make up nearly a quarter of the university population.

國際學生佔了這所大學將近四分之一的人口。

percentage collocation: make up [percentage] of [group]

Women make up about sixty percent of the nursing staff at the local hospital.

女性約佔當地醫院護理人員的百分之六十。

同義詞
  • account for

    more formal, especially used with percentages and statistics

  • comprise

    formal; can be used in both active and passive patterns

文法句型

make up + quantity/percentage

make up + fraction of something

用法筆記

Frequently used with percentages, fractions, and proportions. The subject names the parts, and the object names the whole. Distinguish from 'make up of' in sense 4 — here the parts actively combine to produce a total, whereas sense 4 describes what something is composed of.

常見錯誤

❌The team makes up of twelve players.
✅Twelve players make up the team.' or 'The team is made up of twelve players.
💡'make up' is active; for the passive, use 'be made up of'.

4. to be the parts, members, or ingredients that together form a single thing

4.動詞及物 / 不及物B1
釋義

構成；形成

由多個部分組成一個整體

to be the parts, members, or ingredients that together form a single thing

例句

The committee is made up of teachers, parents, and local business owners.

委員會由老師、家長和當地商家組成。

passive: be made up of [components]

The team was made up of players from six different countries.

這支隊伍由來自六個不同國家的選手組成。

同義詞
  • compose

    more formal; usually passive: 'is composed of'

  • constitute

    formal; used in active voice: 'X constitutes Y'

文法句型

be made up of + noun phrase

make up + noun phrase

用法筆記

This sense is most commonly used in the passive voice with 'of' ('be made up of'). The active form ('X makes up Y') overlaps with sense 3, but sense 4 describes the qualitative composition of something (what it consists of), not quantitative totals (percentages or proportions).

常見錯誤

❌Water is made of hydrogen and oxygen.' (acceptable in casual speech, but less precise)
✅Water is made up of hydrogen and oxygen.
💡'made up of' specifies the components that constitute the whole, while 'made of' refers to the material something is constructed from.

5. to provide something good that balances or reduces the effect of something that

5.動詞不及物B1
釋義

彌補；補償

用其他方式補足缺失或損失

to provide something good that balances or reduces the effect of something that is missing, lost, or not good enough

例句

Tamar worked extra hours to make up for the time she lost during her illness.

Tamar 加班工作以彌補生病期間損失的時間。

collocation: make up for lost time

A warm smile can make up for not speaking the local language very well.

一個溫暖的笑容可以彌補當地語言說得不太好的尷尬。

make up for + verb-ing

同義詞
  • compensate for

    more formal; 'compensate for a loss' vs 'make up for a loss'

  • offset

    formal; used especially in financial or technical contexts

文法句型

make up for + noun phrase

make up for + verb-ing

用法筆記

Always takes the preposition 'for' before the thing being compensated. Cannot be used without 'for'. The object of 'for' is the deficiency, loss, or harm that needs balancing, NOT the compensating thing itself. Covers a wide range of contexts from personal deficits (lost time, missed practice) to abstract compensation (emotional loss, financial offset). Distinguish from sense 6 where 'make up' (without 'for') means doing a missed activity.

常見錯誤

❌I made up the lost time by working late.' (if you mean compensating for loss)
✅I made up for the lost time by working late.
💡When compensating for something, you need 'for' after 'make up'. Without 'for', it means 'invent' (sense 11) or 'do something missed' (sense 6).
❌The money made up the damage.
✅The money made up for the damage.
💡'make up for' always requires the preposition 'for' before the thing being compensated.

6. to do an activity or take something at a later time because you were unable to d

6.動詞及物B1
釋義

補考；補課

補做先前錯過的事情

to do an activity or take something at a later time because you were unable to do it at the correct time

例句

Allison took a test to make up the exam she missed when she was sick.

Allison 參加了一次補考，把生病時錯過的考試補回來。

collocation: make up an exam / a test

The class will make up the cancelled lesson on Saturday morning.

全班將在週六早上補上被取消的那堂課。

同義詞
  • reschedule

    more formal; focuses on changing the time rather than doing the missed activity

  • catch up on

    different pattern; 'catch up on homework' focuses on reaching the same point as others

文法句型

make up + noun phrase (exam, lesson, meeting, game)

用法筆記

Unlike sense 5, this sense does NOT take 'for'. 'Make up a test' means take the test you missed; 'make up for a test' (if it were possible) would mean compensate for something about the test. The object is the thing that was missed or postponed.

常見錯誤

❌I made up for the test I missed.
✅I made up the test I missed.
💡To mean 'taking a missed test', do not use 'for'. 'Make up for' means compensate (sense 5).

7. to reach a firm decision about something after thinking about the choices; used

7.動詞及物 / 不及物B1
釋義

決定；決心

經過思考後做出決定

to reach a firm decision about something after thinking about the choices; used in the fixed phrase make up one's mind.

例句

Ishaan finally made up his mind to study medicine after his grandfather fell ill.

Ishaan 在祖父生病後，終於下定決心要學醫。

make up one's mind + to-infinitive

Sari could not make up her mind about which university offer to accept.

Sari 無法決定要接受哪一所大學的入學通知。

make up one's mind + about + wh-clause

同義詞
  • decide

    more general, does not require the fixed-phrase structure

  • resolve

    more formal and stronger, implies firm commitment

  • choose

    focuses on picking one option rather than reaching a decision

反義詞
  • waver

    to be uncertain, the opposite of being decided

文法句型

make up + one's + mind + to-infinitive

make up + one's + mind + wh-clause

用法筆記

Almost always used in the fixed phrase 'make up one's mind'. The possessive adjective ('my', 'your', 'his', 'her', 'our', 'their', 'its') is required before 'mind'. Never used without it: ❌ 'I made up mind to go.'

常見錯誤

❌I made up my decision to quit.
✅I made up my mind to quit.
💡The fixed phrase uses 'mind', not 'decision'.
❌She made up to become a doctor.
✅She made up her mind to become a doctor.
💡The reflexive pronoun (her) and 'mind' are required.

8. to wrap something in paper, cloth, or other material so that it is fully closed

8.動詞及物B1
釋義

包裝；捆紮

用紙或布包裹物品

to wrap something in paper, cloth, or other material so that it is fully closed or covered.

例句

Layla made up the birthday gift with silver paper and a red bow.

Layla 用銀色包裝紙和紅色蝴蝶結把生日禮物包好。

make up + object with [material]

The shop assistant made the books up into a neat parcel for the customer.

店員把那些書捆成一個整齊的包裹交給顧客。

separable: make + object + up

同義詞
  • wrap

    shorter and more common in everyday use

  • bundle

    suggests tying or binding things together loosely

  • pack

    suggests putting items into a container rather than wrapping the items themselves

文法句型

make + object + up

make up + object

用法筆記

The object can come between 'make' and 'up' (make the package up) or after 'up' (make up the package). When the object is a pronoun, it must go between: 'make it up', not 'make up it'.

常見錯誤

❌She made up it in nice paper.
✅She made it up in nice paper.
💡When the object is a pronoun, it must go between 'make' and 'up'.

9. to dress someone in a costume and put makeup on their face so that they look lik

9.動詞及物B2
釋義

裝扮（演員）

為演出角色打扮演員

to dress someone in a costume and put makeup on their face so that they look like a particular character for a performance.

例句

The theatre team made up the actors as Roman soldiers for the historical drama.

劇組把演員們打扮成羅馬士兵，演出那部歷史劇。

make up + object + as + [role]

The crew made Zuri up as an elderly woman for her lead film role.

工作人員把 Zuri 扮成一位老婦人，以飾演她的電影主角角色。

passive: be made up to look like

同義詞
  • costume

    focuses on the outfit, not the makeup; used as a verb: 'costumed as a pirate'

  • disguise

    suggests hiding someone's identity rather than preparing them for a role

文法句型

make + object + up + as + role

be made up + as + role

用法筆記

This sense emphasises the transformation of the person's entire look (costume and makeup) to suit a specific role. Distinguish from sense 10 (APPLY MAKEUP), which refers only to applying cosmetics to someone's face without the theatrical context of a role.

常見錯誤

❌The bride was made up as a princess for her wedding.
✅The bride had her makeup done for her wedding.
💡'Made up as + role' implies a theatrical performance, not just special-occasion makeup.

10. to put cosmetics such as lipstick, powder, or eye shadow onto someone's face to

10.動詞及物B1
釋義

化妝（他人）

為他人塗抹化妝品

to put cosmetics such as lipstick, powder, or eye shadow onto someone's face to change or improve how they look.

例句

The bridal stylist made up the bride's face with pink lipstick and light blush.

婚禮造型師用粉色口紅和淺色腮紅為新娘化妝。

make up + possessive + face with [products]

The nurse made the patient up with foundation to hide the bruises on her cheek.

護理師幫病人上了粉底，以遮蓋她臉頰上的瘀傷。

separable: make + object + up

文法句型

make + object + up

make up + object

用法筆記

This sense takes a person as the direct object and means applying cosmetics to that person's face. If the subject applies makeup to themselves, use 'put on makeup' or 'do one's makeup' instead: 'She put on makeup before going out.' Distinguish from sense 9 (DRESS FOR ROLE), which involves full costume and theatrical transformation.

常見錯誤

❌She made up in the bathroom.
✅She put on makeup in the bathroom.
💡Intransitive use of 'make up' for putting makeup on yourself belongs to a different, intransitive sense (see sense 18).

11. to invent a story, excuse, explanation, or name that is not true, often to avoid

11.動詞及物B1
釋義

編造；虛構

編造不實的故事或藉口

to invent a story, excuse, explanation, or name that is not true, often to avoid trouble or to amuse someone.

例句

The child made up an exciting story about a dragon that guarded a golden castle.

那個小孩編了一個關於巨龍守護金色城堡的精采故事。

make up + story — creative invention

Otis made up an excuse about his alarm when the teacher asked why he was late.

Otis 編了一個鬧鐘的藉口，向老師解釋他為什麼遲到。

同義詞
  • invent

    more formal; can be used for both false and genuine creations

  • fabricate

    stronger negative connotation, always implies dishonesty

  • concoct

    suggests careful, deliberate invention of a false story

反義詞
  • report

    to give factual information, the opposite of inventing

文法句型

make + object + up

make up + object

make up + that-clause

用法筆記

Often carries a negative connotation of dishonesty when the invention is meant to deceive. For harmless, creative invention (songs, stories, games), the connotation is neutral or positive.

常見錯誤

❌I made up a new salad recipe.
✅I created a new salad recipe.
💡For creative works like recipes, inventions, or art that are true and real, use 'create' or 'invent'. 'Make up' strongly implies something untrue.

12. to make a bed, sofa, or room neat and orderly by putting things back in their pr

12.動詞及物B1
釋義

整理；收拾

把物品擺放整齊

to make a bed, sofa, or room neat and orderly by putting things back in their proper place.

例句

Élise makes up her bed every morning before she leaves for school.

Élise 每天早上出門上學前都會把床鋪整理好。

make up + bed — most common collocation

The hotel cleaner made up the room while the guests were having breakfast downstairs.

房務人員趁房客在樓下吃早餐時，把房間整理乾淨。

同義詞
  • tidy

    more general, can apply to any space or surface

  • straighten

    suggests putting things in a neat line or position

  • arrange

    focuses on placing items in a particular order

反義詞
  • mess up

    to make something untidy, the opposite of tidying

文法句型

make + object + up

make up + object

用法筆記

Most commonly used with 'bed' (make up the bed = to arrange the sheets, blankets, and pillows neatly after sleeping). With rooms, it often implies preparing the space for someone's use or for guests, not just general cleaning.

常見錯誤

❌I made up the kitchen after dinner.
✅I cleaned the kitchen after dinner.
💡'Make up' for tidying usually applies to beds, sofas, and rooms prepared for use, not to general cleaning tasks.

13. After a quarrel or disagreement, two people forgive each other and become friend

13.動詞不及物B2
釋義

和好

爭吵後恢復友好關係

After a quarrel or disagreement, two people forgive each other and become friendly again.

例句

Talia and her roommate had a silly fight, but they made up before bedtime.

Talia 和室友吵了一架，但睡前就和好了。

make up + with + someone for reconciliation

After ignoring each other all week, the brothers finally made up with a hug.

兄弟倆冷戰了整整一週，最後互相擁抱和好了。

同義詞
  • reconcile

    more formal; 'reconcile' is used in both casual and formal writing

  • bury the hatchet

    idiomatic expression, same register, suggests ending a long conflict

  • patch things up

    informal, very similar in meaning

反義詞
  • fall out

    informal, means to start a quarrel

  • quarrel

    to have an angry disagreement

文法句型

make up + with + someone

用法筆記

Frequently used with "with" to introduce the other person. The noun phrase "make-up" can also mean the act of reconciling, e.g. "They had a tearful make-up."

常見錯誤

❌I made up to my friend after the argument.
✅I made up with my friend after the argument.
💡'make up to' means to flatter or gain favour, not to reconcile.
❌I made up for my friend after the fight.
✅I made up with my friend after the fight.
💡'make up for' means to compensate; 'make up with' means to reconcile.

14. To behave in an excessively friendly or flattering way toward someone who has po

14.動詞不及物C1
釋義

討好；奉承

用討好的言行爭取好感

To behave in an excessively friendly or flattering way toward someone who has power or influence, hoping to gain an advantage.

例句

The intern spent the whole week making up to the senior staff for a better reference.

這位實習生整整一週都在討好資深員工，為的是拿到更好的推薦信。

make up + to + someone + for + purpose

Mayumi is always making up to the landlord so he will fix the broken heater first.

Mayumi 總是討好房東，這樣他才會先來修她的壞暖氣。

同義詞
  • flatter

    more direct and neutral; 'make up to' implies a stronger goal of personal gain

  • curry favour

    formal idiom, same meaning but more literary

  • suck up to

    very informal, often rude, same meaning

反義詞
  • offend

    to cause someone to feel upset or angry

  • criticise

    to point out faults, opposite of flattering

文法句型

make up + to + someone

用法筆記

Often carries a negative connotation — the person being flattered may not realise the insincerity, but the speaker does. Common in British English more than American.

常見錯誤

❌He made up with the boss for a promotion.
✅He made up to the boss for a promotion.
💡'make up with' means reconcile; 'make up to' means flatter to gain favour.

15. To try to start a romantic or sexual relationship with someone by giving them a

15.動詞不及物B2
釋義

追求；獻殷勤

以舉動表達愛慕或好感

To try to start a romantic or sexual relationship with someone by giving them a lot of attention and compliments.

例句

Eshe noticed that a tall stranger had been making up to her all evening.

Eshe 注意到一個高大的陌生人整晚都在向她獻殷勤。

make up + to + someone (romantic context)

Daichi was too nervous to make up to his classmate, so he just smiled from across the room.

Daichi 太緊張了，不敢對同學表達好感，只是從教室另一頭微笑。

同義詞
  • court

    more formal and old-fashioned; implies serious romantic pursuit

  • woo

    formal or literary, implies careful romantic gestures

  • flirt with

    lighter, less serious than 'make up to' in this sense

反義詞
  • ignore

    to pay no attention to someone romantically

  • reject

    to refuse someone's romantic advances

文法句型

make up + to + someone

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 14 (WIN FAVOUR): this sense involves romantic or sexual attraction, while sense 14 involves seeking a non-romantic advantage such as a promotion or special treatment.

常見錯誤

❌He made up with her at the party.
✅He made up to her at the party.
💡'make up with' means reconcile; 'make up to' can mean flirting or courting.

16. To put on a costume, wig, or special face paints for a theatrical performance, t

16.動詞不及物B2
釋義

打扮；裝扮

為演出或活動裝扮造型

To put on a costume, wig, or special face paints for a theatrical performance, themed event, or party.

例句

The actors made up as ghosts and monsters for the Halloween stage show.

演員們打扮成鬼魂和怪物，參加萬聖節舞臺秀。

make up + as + character

Shanti spent two hours making up as an old wizard for the school play.

Shanti 花了兩小時把自己打扮成老巫師，參加學校話劇演出。

同義詞
  • dress up

    broader — includes costumes without face makeup

  • put on costume

    more literal, describes the action step by step

文法句型

make up + as + character

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 18 (EVERYDAY MAKEUP): this sense covers theatrical or costumed appearance changes for a performance, while sense 18 covers daily cosmetic use for personal appearance. Also distinct from sense 9 (PREPARE FOR ROLE) which is broader and includes non-makeup preparation.

常見錯誤

❌She made up for the school play.
✅She made up as a witch for the school play.
💡use 'as' to specify the character, not 'for'.

17. To put coloured substances such as foundation, lipstick, or mascara on your own

17.動詞不及物A2
釋義

化妝

在臉上塗抹化妝品

To put coloured substances such as foundation, lipstick, or mascara on your own face to change or improve your appearance.

例句

Noor makes up every morning before she leaves for her office job.

Noor 每天早上出門上班前都會化妝。

intransitive: make up = apply cosmetics to oneself

The teenager spent an hour making up in front of the bathroom mirror.

那位青少年在浴室鏡子前花了一小時化妝。

同義詞
反義詞

文法句型

make up

用法筆記

Intransitive — the person doing the action is also the recipient. Distinguish from sense 10 (verb_b2) which is transitive: "to make up someone's face" means applying makeup TO another person. This sense is about applying makeup to oneself.

常見錯誤

❌She made up her little sister's face for the party.' using sense 18.
✅This is correct English but belongs to sense 10 (transitive use). Sense 18 is only for applying cosmetics to oneself.

makeup — 名詞