1 B1 idiomatic neutral
To see, hear, or understand something with difficulty.
"The signal was so weak that I could barely make out what she was saying."
separable
make out
B1 informal separable transitive/intransitive
To see, hear, or understand something with difficulty; to claim something is true; to kiss and caress romantically; or to write a cheque/form.
In plain English
Understand something hard to see or hear; pretend something is true; kiss someone romantically.
What does "make out" mean?
4 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 idiomatic informal
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."
inseparable
3 B1 idiomatic informal
(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
inseparable
4 B2 neutral
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."
separable
Usage tip
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.
Words that pair with "make out"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
words writing cheque face claim pretend
How to conjugate "make out"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
make out
I/you/we/they
3rd person
makes out
he/she/it
Past simple
made out
yesterday
Past participle
made out
have + pp
-ing form
making out
continuous
Hear "make out" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "make out" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Other ways to say "make out"
Swap in when you want variety — tap a linked one to explore it.
Keep exploring
Jump to every phrasal verb built on the same verb, particle, or level.