Synonyms make
make ▪ do ▪ create ▪ develop ▪ produce ▪ generate ▪ form
These words all mean to make something from parts or materials, or to cause something to exist or happen.
make to create or prepare something by combining materials or putting parts together; to cause something to exist or happen:
She makes her own clothes.
She made a good impression on the interviewer.
do (rather informal) to make or prepare something, especially something artistic or something to eat:
He did a beautiful drawing of a house.
Who’s doing the food for the party?
create to make something exist or happen, especially something new that did not exist before:
Scientists disagree about how the universe was created.
make or create?
Make is a more general word and is more often used for physical things: you would usually make a table/​dress/​cake but create jobs/​wealth. You can use create for something physical in order to emphasize how original or unusual the object is: Try this new dish, created by our head chef.
develop (used especially in business contexts) to think of and produce a new product:
to develop new software
produce to make things to be sold; to create something using skill:
a factory that produces microchips
generate to produce or create something, especially power, money or ideas:
to generate electricity
Brainstorming is a good way of generating ideas.
form often passive to make something from something else; to make something into something else:
Rearrange the letters to form a new word.
The chain is formed from 136 links.
Patterns
to make/​create/​develop/​produce/​generate/​form something from/​out of something
to make/​form something into something
to make/​produce wine
to create/​develop a new product
to create/​produce/​generate income/​profits/​wealth
to produce/​generate electricity/​heat/​power