1 C1 informal
To arrange a temporary or makeshift sleeping place, especially on the floor or a sofa, typically for a guest.
"We haven't got a spare room, but I can make you down a bed on the living room floor."
separable
make down
C1 informal separable transitive
To prepare a makeshift or temporary bed or sleeping place, usually on the floor or a sofa.
In plain English
To set up a place to sleep, usually not a proper bed — like putting blankets on the floor or on a sofa for a guest.
What does "make down" mean?
One main meaning — here's how to use it.
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
'Make' (to prepare) + 'down' (at a lower level, on the floor). The directional sense of making a bed at ground level is fairly transparent.
Actually means
To set up a place to sleep, usually not a proper bed — like putting blankets on the floor or on a sofa for a guest.
Usage tip
Primarily Scottish and Northern English dialect. In standard British or American English, 'make up a bed' or 'put someone up' would be more commonly used. 'Make down' specifically implies a floor-level or improvised sleeping arrangement. Rarely encountered outside dialect literature or regional conversation.
Words that pair with "make down"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
floor sofa couch guest spare room blankets
How to conjugate "make down"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
make down
I/you/we/they
3rd person
makes down
he/she/it
Past simple
made down
yesterday
Past participle
made down
have + pp
-ing form
making down
continuous
Hear "make down" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "make down" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Other ways to say "make down"
Swap in when you want variety — tap a linked one to explore it.
lay out bedding make up a bed put down a bed set up a bed
Keep exploring
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