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makeup

noun · verb

Simple meaning

Cosmetics applied to the face to improve or change your appearance.

Pronunciation

Say it like this:

maykuhp

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US device voice
IPA pronunciation (US)

ˈmeɪkəp

This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.

IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.

Word Review

Definition

Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.

noun

  1. Cosmetics applied to the face to improve or change your appearance

  2. countableuncountable

    Cosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance.

  3. education

    A test given to students allowing them to repeat failed material.

  4. countableuncountable

    An item's composition.

verb

  1. To constitute, to compose.

Word at a Glance

Difficulty
B1 · Intermediate (estimated)
Frequency
Moderately Common
Typical Use
General and technical use

Word Aura™

How this word commonly comes across.

Aura for this meaning

This meaning: Cosmetics applied to the face to improve or change your appearance

Used this way, makeup is a reasonably familiar word with a mildly favourable edge. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.

Emotional tone
Slightly positive
Formality
Neutral
Intensity
Moderate
How common
Moderately common
Connotation
Positive and appreciative
Usage feel
Neutral and straightforward

Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.

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Common Patterns and Combinations

How this word naturally appears with others.

makeup artistgenetic makeuppsychological makeupeye makeupphysical makeupchemical makeupwear makeupethnic makeup

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More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin

Synonyms

Sense: cosmetics applied to the face to improve

war paint

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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.