to make it
207
3.4
- phrasal verb
- /meɪk ɪt/
- Informal
:
triunfar
- His innovative ideas and relentless effort helped him make it in the tech world.
And that's why a lot of people can't make it because success destroys them.
- And that's why a lot of people can't make it because success destroys them.
Examples
-
Many aspiring musicians hope to make it in the competitive world of the music industry.
-
And, and sometimes people who really should have made it don't make it.
-
So they decided to make it more active and go out and bring people in.
Fiction book (1991) -
And could he possibly take the site over and somehow make it a success?
Academic text (2004) -
Do you want to make it in America, bro?
-
Brilliant, you made it.
-
We made it!
-
We've made it, girls.
-
After years of hard work and determination, she finally made it as a successful author.
Synonyms
846
2.0
To reach a goal after trying hard
103
7.3
To become very successful and well known in your job
42
3.2
To become very successful or important in a career
35
4.9
To become successful and have a better life by working hard
18
4.1
Become very successful in a job or career
17
3.4
To have a big success people do not expect
11
4.1
To get noticed for your work in an area, for example in art or business
9
5.1
To become very successful, often quickly
7
4.5
To become very successful and famous in your work
7
4.5
To get more successful and reach a higher social or economic position
6
3.1
Get to the top of a mountain or the highest point in your career
5
3.7
To become successful and earn enough money
Antonyms
How Successful
106
2.8
- Informal
18
4.1
- Informal
207
3.4
520
1.2
121
3.1
Surface Forms
Morphology
make + it
The success sense of 'make it' cannot be directly computed from the literal meanings of 'make' and the pronoun 'it' because 'it' is a non-referential/dummy element and the sense is an idiomatic extension of 'make' (to achieve/reach). Cross-linguistic parallels (e.g., Spanish 'lograrlo', French 'y arriver') make the pattern somewhat guessable from context, but the specific success meaning is not fully predictable for a B1 learner without prior exposure.
Etymology
The phrasal verb make it may come from the picture of arriving where success happens, like a performer who finally gets on stage or someone who reaches the big city to work. Think of make as 'reach' and it as 'that place'. If you make it there, you have 'become very successful', so the phrase means 'to become very successful'.