Make-up

//mæɪkˈɐp// adj, noun, verb, slang

adj, noun, verb, slang ·Moderate ·College level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    Alternative spelling of makeup. See usage notes there. alt-of, alternative, uncountable, usually

    "From Whitemoor, left at 6.45 p.m., the train's make-up usually includes also some Continental ferry wagons, originating from Harwich."

  2. 2
    cosmetics applied to the face to improve or change your appearance wordnet
  3. 3
    the way in which someone or something is composed wordnet
  4. 4
    an event that is substituted for a previously cancelled event wordnet
Verb
  1. 1
    Rare form of make up (“to put makeup on”). form-of, rare

    "Orange, mauve, and cobalt blue are three favorite shades now employed by the woman who desires to “make-up” her face, according to the approved beauty standards."

Adjective
  1. 1
    Made-up, false, imaginary, fabricated. not-comparable
  2. 2
    Of or relating to a reconciliation. informal, not-comparable

    "Joe and Joanne had a big fight, and then apologized and had incredible make-up sex."

Example

More examples

"A little make-up worked wonders with her."

Etymology

Deverbal from make up.

Related phrases

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.