Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
to make a point

to make a point

129 3.5
Try to do something on purpose because it is important
  • phrasal verb
: señalar
  • He makes a point of arriving early to every meeting to set a good example.
  • make a point of saying
  • make a point of telling
  • make a point of mentioning

So I thought that that was at least USA TODAY made a point to say, hey, here's the full story.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • Half were observed incorporating humor to make a point or to help students connect with the discussion.

    Academic text (2012)

  • And here he makes a point that he made earlier.

  • I think you made a point about people watching that.

  • Okay, I was just trying to make a point.

    Craving (2023)

  • We made a point of it, and I liked that.

    Maybe I Do (2023)

  • I felt as if he were saying this to make a point against me.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • The first step in this effort is simply to make a point of programming original music.

    Academic text (2010)

  • Even if you are not required to attend faculty meetings, make a point of doing so.

    Academic text (2004)

  • My motto is, you should make a point of trying everything once.

    Love and Other Catastrophes (1996)

  • I return to my food, making a point to seem attentive to Rob's speech.

Synonyms

to make sure
vsto make a point
∞ 1.1

Check or do something so you are sure about it

is a deliberate action to give special attention rather than to verify outcome
to go out of one's way
vsto make a point
  • Informal
53 3.5

Make a special effort to do something, often to help someone

is deliberate but not necessarily unusually large or aimed at helping
to make a point of
vsto make a point
31 3.5

Always do something because you think it is important

is a deliberate effort to highlight importance rather than habit
to make it a point
vsto make a point
21 4.3

Be sure to do something regularly

is a single deliberate effort to give special attention

Antonyms

to ignore
∞ 1.0

Choose not to pay attention to someone or something

to neglect
256 3.8

Fail to care for someone or something you should look after

How Determined

to go out of one's way
  • Informal
53 3.5
to make a point
129 3.5
to try
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

make a point infinitive
made a point past
made a point past participle
making a point present participle
makes a point third person singular

Morphology

make + a + point

The meaning is largely derivable from combining 'make' (to perform) with 'point' (meaning/aim/importance): a learner who knows these words can infer it means to do something deliberately to emphasize or ensure it happens. However, the collocational pattern ('make a point' / 'make a point of') and the pragmatic nuance of intentional emphasis are somewhat idiomatic and may not be fully predictable for a B1 learner without exposure.

Etymology

The phrase make a point may come from the image of someone using their hand to point or making a clear mark to show something important. That's why when you make a point today it means 'to do something on purpose because it matters'.