to make something of oneself
35
4.9
- idiom
:
triunfar
- She decided it was time to make something of herself and enrolled in college to pursue a better future.
- make a success of yourself
- want to make something of yourself
- going to make something of yourself
Examples
-
You've got a golden opportunity here... to make somethin' of yourself, and you just throwin' it away?
-
Some people don't do their best, think of others, and try to make something of themselves.
Blog text (32) -
I bet it all trying to make something of myself!
-
I think they were just holding on to see me make something out of myself.
-
But Billy was going to make something of himself.
-
Sometimes she drives me nuts, but I know she will someday make something of herself.
Blog text (19) -
"And what do you intend to make of yourself when you grow up, Mr. Albert Redmond?" she asked.
Fiction book (1996) -
That's why he is so insistent on you making something of yourself.
-
This'll be the first time a Forrester ever had the opportunity... to make something of himself.
-
You ain't got brains enough to realize... that now is the time you oughta be saving your money... and trying to make something better of yourself.
Synonyms
207
3.4
To become very successful in a job or career
76
4.8
To show you are capable, skilled or brave by meeting a challenge
30
3.7
To become known for what you do by working hard
8
6.3
To begin to use your skills and get recognition
5
3.7
To become successful and earn enough money
1
8.2
Make your situation better by working hard without help
Antonyms
How Successful
88
3.7
35
4.9
83
3.4
846
2.0
121
3.1
Surface Forms
Morphology
make + something + of + oneself
The verbs 'make' (cause/become) and the reflexive 'oneself' transparently indicate causing a change in one’s status, so a learner could infer a general sense of 'become something' or 'improve oneself' from the parts. However, the idiomatic use of 'something' to mean 'a successful or respectable position' is conventionalized and not fully predictable from the literal constituents, so the phrase requires prior exposure to recover the specific nuance.
Etymology
Make something of oneself may come from the simple image of a potter who makes a useful something from plain clay with their own hands. So, to 'make something of yourself' means to shape your life by hard work and become successful.