make out
[verb]
Synonyms:
- see, detect, discern, discover, distinguish, perceive, recognize
- understand, comprehend, decipher, fathom, follow, grasp, work out
- write out, complete, draw up, fill in or out
- pretend, assert, claim, let on, make as if or though
- fare, get on, manage

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English Thesaurus: hear, listen, make out, overhear, catch, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

make out phrasal verb (see also make)

1. SEE/HEAR make something ↔ out to be just able to see or hear something:
He could just make out a dark shape moving towards him.
make out who/what etc
I couldn’t make out what he was saying.

2. UNDERSTAND SOMETHING make something ↔ out to understand something, especially the reason why something has happened
make out what/how/why etc
I couldn’t make out what I had done to annoy her.
As far as I can make out, he has never been married.

3. UNDERSTAND SOMEBODY make somebody ↔ out [usually in questions and negatives] to understand someone’s character and the way they behave:
Stuart’s a strange guy – I can’t make him out at all.

4. WRITE CHEQUE ETC make something ↔ out to write something such as a bill or cheque:
She was making out a list of people to invite.
The book gives advice on making out a will.
make something ↔ out to
Make the cheque out to ‘Grays Ltd’.

5. SAY/PRETEND make somebody/something ↔ out to say that something is true when it is not:
The situation was never as bad as the media made out.
make out (that)
She always tried to make out that I was wrong and she was right.
make somebody/something out to be something
He makes me out to be some sort of idiot.

6. make out a case (for something) to find good reasons that prove something or show why you need something:
We made out a case for hiring another assistant.

7. SUCCEED especially American English to succeed or progress in a particular way Synonym : get on:
How did you make out this morning?

8. SEX informal especially American English to kiss and touch someone in a sexual way

9. make out like a bandit American English informal to get or win a lot of money:
The lawyers made out like bandits.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

hear to know that a sound is being made, using your ears:
There’s no need to shout – I can hear you!
Voices could be heard in the distance.
listen to pay attention to something, using your ears:
I was listening to the news on the car radio.
He never listens to anything I say.
make out to hear something with difficulty:
When I got closer, I could make out a human voice.
I could just make out what he was saying.
overhear to accidentally hear another person’s conversation:
I overheard her say to her friend that she had lost something.
catch to hear something that someone says:
Sorry, I didn’t catch your name.
I caught the last few minutes of the programme.
tune in to listen to a programme – often used in announcements on the radio:
Tune in for all the latest news and views from around the world.
Thousands of people tune in to the show every week.
audible adjective loud enough to be heard:
Her words were clearly audible.
an audible whisper

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

pretend /prɪˈtend/ to deliberately behave as though something is true when it is not, either for fun or to deceive someone:
Mark closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep.
She shouted but he pretended that he hadn’t heard her.
act to behave in a particular way – often used when saying that someone is pretending that something is true, when it is not:
Paul acted as if nothing was wrong.
She always acts like she’s pleased to see me, but I’m sure she’s not.
He enjoyed acting the fool (=pretending to be stupid) and couldn’t care less about his studies.
The boy acted all innocent and said that he knew nothing about the money.
I tried to act the good housewife when I got married.
make out something informal to pretend that something is true, in order to avoid doing something or to deceive someone:
I didn’t want to go, so I made out I was busy.
She always makes out that she doesn’t have any money.
be putting it on informal to be pretending to be ill, hurt etc, especially in order to avoid doing something, or to make other people feel sympathy for you:
She’s not really upset, she’s just putting it on.
feign interest/surprise/ignorance/illness etc formal to pretend that you are interested, surprised etc:
‘Oh really!’ he said, trying to feign interest.
Sometimes it’s best just to feign ignorance (=pretend that you do not know).
keep up appearances to pretend that your life is happy and successful, especially when you have suffered some kind of trouble or loss:
Although we were poor, our family always tried to keep up appearances.
She did her best to keep up appearances after her husband left her.
impersonate to copy the way that a famous person speaks and behaves, in order to entertain people, or to pretend to have an official job, in order to trick people:
He’s brilliant at impersonating the President.
It’s illegal to impersonate a police officer.
pose as somebody to pretend to be someone else, especially someone in an official position, so that it is easier for you to do something bad or illegal:
He posed as a doctor to gain access to the hospital.
There have been cases of thieves posing as telephone engineers.
masquerade as somebody/something disapproving to pretend to be someone or something else – used especially when saying that someone or something is not who they claim to be:
Their advertisements are always full of people in white coats masquerading as scientists.
It’s not real news – it’s government propaganda masquerading as news.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

recognize to know who someone is or what something is, especially because you have seen or heard them before:
I hadn’t seen her for ten years, but I recognized her immediately.
Do you recognize this song?
identify to recognize someone or something and say who or what they are:
As they came closer, I was able to identify two of the group.
It’s delicious but I can’t quite identify the taste.
distinguish to recognize and understand the difference between two or more things or people:
By this age, kids can usually distinguish between right and wrong.
It’s often difficult to distinguish identical twins from each other.
make something/somebody out to be able to see or hear something or someone – used when it is very difficult to do this:
In the distance, I could just make out the outline of an island.
He whispered something but I couldn’t make out what it was.
discern /dɪˈsɜːn $ -ɜːrn/ formal to notice or understand something by looking carefully or thinking about it carefully:
I thought I discerned a faint gleam of hope in his eyes.
A number of differences can be discerned in the data for the three countries.
know to recognize someone or something. Know is often used in everyday English instead of recognize:
How do you know that it is real gold?
I know him from somewhere.
I can’t remember his name, but I know his face.
can tell to be able to recognize someone or something:
I could tell that it was him by his voice.
Can you tell that it’s not real leather?
It’s difficult to be able to tell them apart (=to recognize that they are different).

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

see to notice something with your eyes, usually without planning to. Also used when saying that you watched a particular programme, film, game etc:
Have you seen my keys anywhere?
Did you see the basketball game last night?
look at somebody/something to keep your eyes pointed toward someone or something, especially someone or something that is not moving:
I looked at the map.
She was looking at him in a strange way.
notice to see something interesting or unusual:
I noticed a police car outside their house.
spot to suddenly see something, especially something you are looking for:
Nick spotted the advertisement in the paper.
catch sight of/catch a glimpse of (also glimpse formal) to suddenly see someone or something for a short time, usually not clearly:
I caught sight of him in the hotel lobby, and followed him out the door.
He glimpsed her face as she went into the courtroom.
make out somebody/something to see something, but only with difficulty:
Ahead, I could just make out the figure of a woman.
witness to see something happen, especially a crime or an accident:
The police are asking anyone who witnessed the attack to come forward.
observe formal to see and pay attention to something:
Officers observed him driving at 100 mph.
sight especially written to suddenly see something or someone from a long distance, especially when you have been looking for a long time:
The missing boys were sighted by a rescue helicopter.
The crew finally sighted land.
blind unable to see anything:
She has been blind from birth.
partially-sighted not able to see things very well, although not completely blind:
Good lighting can be very important for partially sighted people.
visually handicapped/impaired completely blind or not able to see very much – used especially in official reports, forms etc:
a special school for visually impaired children

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

sight something that you see:
A herd of elephants is a magnificent sight.
Even Charles cheered up at the sight of the food.
view the area you can see from a window or place, especially when it is beautiful:
The view from the top of the mountain is amazing.
The hotel has great views of Lake Windermere.
We had a good view of the firework display.
panorama an impressive view of a very large area that stretches a long way across in front of you:
a panorama of snow-covered hills and mountains
vista written a view of a large area of beautiful scenery – used in written descriptions:
The road around the island offers some spectacular vistas.
scene what you see in a place, especially where people are moving around and doing things:
Reporters described the horrific scenes which followed the bombing.
His pictures are mainly of local scenes.
spectacle something that you see that is very unusual, surprising, or strange:
It must have been an unusual spectacle.
I leaned over the balcony to get a look at the spectacle below.
visuals [plural] pictures or parts of a film, video etc that people can see, as opposed to the parts you can hear:
Good visuals will help keep your audience’s attention.
see to notice something with your eyes, usually without planning to. Also used when saying that you watched a particular programme, film, game etc:
Have you seen my keys anywhere?
Did you see the basketball game last night?
look at somebody/something to keep your eyes pointed toward someone or something, especially someone or something that is not moving:
I looked at the map.
She was looking at him in a strange way.
notice to see something interesting or unusual:
I noticed a police car outside their house.
spot to suddenly see something, especially something you are looking for:
Nick spotted the advertisement in the paper.
catch sight of/catch a glimpse of (also glimpse formal) to suddenly see someone or something for a short time, usually not clearly:
I caught sight of him in the hotel lobby, and followed him out the door.
He glimpsed her face as she went into the courtroom.
make out somebody/something to see something, but only with difficulty:
Ahead, I could just make out the figure of a woman.
witness to see something happen, especially a crime or an accident:
The police are asking anyone who witnessed the attack to come forward.
observe formal to see and pay attention to something:
Officers observed him driving at 100 mph.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

make out
1. distinguish/identify something, manage to see or read something
The ship captain could not make out the name of the other boat because of the fog.

I was unable to make out the sign because I didn't have my glasses.

2. make someone believe something, prove something
He made out that he was at the library last night but I know that he wasn't.

3. understand something by making an effort
I can never make out what my friend wants to say when he phones me.

4. to progress, to do well or not do well
"How did you make out at your job interview yesterday?"

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲

make out something
1. distinguish/identify something, manage to see or read something
The ship captain could not make out the name of the other boat because of the fog.

I was unable to make out the sign because I didn't have my glasses.

2. make someone believe something, prove something
He made out that he was at the library last night but I know that he wasn't.

3. understand something by making an effort
I can never make out what my friend wants to say when he phones me.

4. to progress, to do well or not do well
"How did you make out at your job interview yesterday?"

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲

make out
v.
1. To write the facts asked for (as in an application blank or a report form); fill out.
The teacher made out the report cards and gave them to the students to take home.
Mrs. Smith gave the clerk in the store some money and the clerk made out a receipt.
2. To see, hear, or understand by trying hard.
It was dark, and we could not make out who was coming along the road.
They could not make out what the child had drawn.
The book had many hard words and Anne could not make out what the writer meant.
Mr. White does many strange things. No one can make him out.
Synonym: FIGURE OUT.
3. informal To make someone believe; show; prove.
Charles and Bob had a fight, and Charles tried to make out that Bob started it.
The boy said he did not take the money but the teacher found the money in the boy's desk and it made him out to be a liar.
4. informal Do well enough; succeed.
John's father wanted John to do well in school and asked the teacher how John was making out.
The sick woman could not make out alone in her house, so her friend came and helped her.
5. To kiss or pet.
What are Jack and Jill up to?
■ They're making out on the back porch.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲