Home UK English make-up

Meaning of make-up in English:

make-up

Pronunciation /ˈmeɪkʌp/

See synonyms for make-up

noun

mass noun

  • 1Cosmetics such as lipstick or powder applied to the face, used to enhance or alter the appearance.

    ‘she came downstairs, her face still white under her heavy make-up’
    • ‘stage make-up’
    • ‘chief make-up artist’
    • ‘Stage make-up is necessarily heavy, in order to be seen, and seen as natural, by the audience.’
    • ‘Apply your usual foundation make-up or powder to cover any imperfections and even out your skin tone.’
    • ‘Just before going on stage, the make-up lady had dabbed powder on my face.’
    • ‘So she went off into the make-up trailer and my make-up artist came, and said ‘you've got to come, you've got to come’.’
    • ‘All that's missing is a truly fabulous make-up artist to slap the whole lot on.’
    • ‘The invention also relates to a cosmetic care or make-up process for a keratinous material.’
    • ‘His eyes are lined in black eyeliner so perfectly that you'd think that a make-up artist does his make-up.’
    • ‘Her face was made even more pale by her make-up: her black lipstick, and dark eye shadow.’
    • ‘Her eyes were outlined with some heavy make-up and her black nails were two inches longer than usual.’
    • ‘Ever wondered what women who sell cosmetics keep in their make-up bag?’
    • ‘The hairdresser messed up her hair more than it already was while someone else was putting stage make-up on her.’
    • ‘You're better at doing stage make-up than I am.’
    • ‘What I want is a make-up remover that literally lets the make-up float off your face.’
    • ‘Apply layers of pancake make-up, in the style of kabuki theatre.’
    • ‘I left my make-up bag under that, and then I started opening drawers.’
    • ‘If in doubt, arrange a free consultation at a store make-up counter.’
    • ‘I need make-up tips most of all; but anything would be of assistance.’
    • ‘One bizarre addendum to his' performance ' was his extraordinary application of stage make-up.’
    • ‘I made a couple of little girls tremble just by being in my zombie make-up, and that was cool.’
    • ‘"I've noticed when they come to school discos that they wear a bit of glitter make-up.’
    cosmetics, greasepaint
    View synonyms

  • 2The composition or constitution of something.

    ‘ozone damages the cellular make-up of plants and trees’
    • ‘The important and terrifying thing is what's happening inside the US, to the constitution and make-up of the country.’
    • ‘Geochemistry involves studying the chemical make-up of rocks, the chemistry of water or any geological material.’
    • ‘To the extent that the physical make-up of organisms provides heritable variation, it becomes a malleable clay that can be sculpted by selection.’
    • ‘The structural make-up of Irish employment is changing, with the number of women in paid employment increasing rapidly.’
    • ‘Some features of its make-up were evidences of his goodness and beneficence, while others displayed his displeasure.’
    • ‘Our genetic makeup is indisputably similar to the great apes, our closest relatives.’
    • ‘Stock is right that there are many foolish arguments against altering our genetic makeup.’
    • ‘Another consideration is to have your soil tested to determine its chemical makeup and texture.’
    • ‘Scientists determine the chemical make-up of materials by measuring the wavelengths of light the materials absorb or emit.’
    • ‘Why do our churches not generally reflect the ethnic make-up of the society they are in?’
    • ‘And the makeup of the illegal population is changing to include more women and children.’
    • ‘Also, it paints a very good picture of the make-up of our wintering bird population.’
    • ‘The coming change in the makeup of the English population is unprecedented.’
    • ‘They don't know who the final make-up of the team will necessarily be.’
    • ‘The make-up of the people taking part was far broader and more representative of the general population than had been the case previously.’
    • ‘To what degree do you think that's going to change the social make-up of the people who live right by the coast?’
    • ‘He said it would be a much fairer reflection of the current make-up of the council, in which combined opposition members outnumber Labour.’
    • ‘It is almost certain Ribble Valley would be split up because of its size, shape and rural make-up.’
    • ‘Our loyal repeat participants tell us that one of the most appealing features of our trips is the small size and make-up of the groups.’
    • ‘Hayes stated that he would change the approach and style of play, and all would see a difference in style, make-up of the team and the way they play.’
    • ‘The make-up of the present family is, of course, a different matter.’
    composition, constitution, configuration, form, arrangement, format, structure, construction, formation, assembly, organization, fabric, framework
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    1. 2.1The combination of qualities that form a person's temperament.
      ‘a curiously unexpected timidity in his make-up’
      • ‘Philosophy Like science is heavily influenced by the psychological make-up of the person doing the thinking.’
      • ‘The emotional and psychological make-up of a young person can often be forgotten in the rush for top points.’
      • ‘Of equal importance in experiential terms, however, was the psychological make-up of individuals as well as communities and cultures.’
      • ‘Like all Geminis, the personality and mental make-up is highly intelligent and versatile.’
      • ‘A man's personality and mental make-up do have a bearing upon his conduct.’
      • ‘Her psychological and political make-up was based on the proposition ‘I am right.’’
      • ‘The psychological make-up for today's game is fascinating.’
      • ‘His psychological make-up would baffle Dr Jekyll, Mr Hyde and every Freudian shrink outside a Woody Allen movie.’
      • ‘The end result was a deep confusion in his psychological make-up.’
      • ‘It is not essentially any failings in Andrew's mental or sporting make-up.’
      • ‘The scope of earning has brought about a sea change in the mental make-up of the women.’
      • ‘There is compelling evidence that an important factor contributing to the development of cancer is the emotional make-up of a person.’
      • ‘The Championship is the true test of both the physical and mental make-up of a team.’
      • ‘There is something deeply twisted in the human make-up that allows them to relate to animals more than people being treated like animals.’
      • ‘We assume that mental ability or disability is a part of an individual's make-up, and therefore that what is congenital is also largely incurable.’
      • ‘Such music can give little clue as to the personality or emotional make-up of its composer in a modern sense.’
      • ‘I tried explaining to them that if they changed this aspect of Sean's make-up they'd also be changing the way he plays the game.’
      • ‘I was a millimetre surprised at this glance into my inner elemental make-up though I really shouldn't have been.’
      • ‘Sadly that element of this great fighter's make-up may well have rendered him liable to the damage that he undoubtedly suffered.’
      • ‘But such lists give us fascinating little windows into the make-up of the composers involved.’
      character, nature, temperament, temper, personality, disposition, constitution, mentality, persona, psyche, psychology, make, stamp, mould, cast of mind, turn of mind
      View synonyms

  • 3Printing
    The arrangement of text, illustrations, etc. on a printed page.

    ‘page make-up’
    • ‘Seamus started his own career as an apprentice compositor, during the days when all page make-up was in hot metal.’
    • ‘Then there was the excitement of starting to do our own page make-up, having bought a Compugraphic typesetting machine.’
    design, style, presentation, appearance, look
    View synonyms

  • 4North American count noun A supplementary test or assignment given to a student who missed or failed the original one.

    ‘I would have flunked the course but she let me write a make-up’
    • ‘A busy teacher of thirty students who allows three make-ups per student, however, is agreeing to ninety make-ups a year!’
    • ‘Some teachers save one Saturday a month for make-ups, and all lessons for the month may be made up only on that day.’
    • ‘Another teacher may say, ‘I have a firm makeup policy and my students all understand it, and I have no problems with make-ups.’’
    • ‘It acknowledges that some students may be experiencing difficulty, so we should be sensitive to their needs - such as allowing make-ups.’
    • ‘Currently, most camps have two office staff members spending the bulk of their days coordinating absences and make-ups!’
    • ‘Drew and I only got to exchange a few words the whole week because of my make-ups and his soccer practices we never got to see each other.’
    • ‘However, the president said yesterday if Nelson submits a medical he would make sure she received a make-up test.’
    • ‘Zoe said that when she went into Miss Ell's class one noon hour to get her make-up assignments, Miss Ell was eating a salad.’
    • ‘If he wasn't, then she knew she'd never be able to garner enough courage to come back for a make-up.’
    • ‘The make-up exam was exactly the same as the original and was administered 12 days after the original exam.’
    • ‘Should a student fail a final exam, he or she is allowed two make-up exams.’
    • ‘Students may study and prepare differently for the initial and make-up exam.’