make out
Understand something hard to see or hear; pretend something is true; kiss someone romantically.
Meanings
To see, hear, or understand something with difficulty.
"The signal was so weak that I could barely make out what she was saying."
To claim or suggest that something is true, often in a misleading or exaggerated way.
"He made out that the project was already finished, but it was nowhere near done."
(Chiefly AmE, informal) To kiss and caress someone romantically.
"They were making out in the back row of the cinema."
"Were you just making out with Ferris Bueller?"
— Ferris Bueller's Day Off, dir. John Hughes, 1986
To write a cheque, form, or official document, filling in the necessary details.
"Please make the cheque out to the charity's full registered name."
One of the most polysemous phrasal verbs in English. The romantic sense is primarily AmE and informal. The 'claim/pretend' sense is often used with a negative or sceptical tone. The 'write a cheque' sense is formal and British.
Commonly used with
Forms
Understand "make out" better
Real video examples
Video examples are being collected. Check back soon.
Synonyms
Want to master this phrasal verb?
Practice "make out" on Looplines