makeup

M3A1K5E1U1P3
/ˈmeɪkʌp/

noun

An item's composition.

“She is wearing a lot of makeup.”

CommonScrabble 14

Meanings

nounmakeup (usually uncountable, plural makeups)

plural makeups · alternative make-up · alternative make up

  1. countableuncountableusuallyAn item's composition.

    To understand how a nuclear reactor works, we must first look at its makeup.

    1 more example

    After the size and makeup of Congress was decided by the Founding Fathers, it was time to lawmake.

    2005, Bennett Fairorth, Philadelphia Holidays 2004, Turkish Pleasures 1997, page 269
  2. countableuncountableusuallyCosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance.

    She is wearing a lot of makeup.

    1 more example

    When I wake up in my makeup / It's too early for that dress / Wilted and faded somewhere in Hollywood

    1998 August 31, Courtney Love, Billy Corgan, Eric Erlandson, “Celebrity Skin”, performed by Hole

    Synonyms: maquillage

  3. uncountableusuallybusinessReplacement; material used to make up for the amount that has been used up.

    When the water level drops, the float ball drops with it and opens the valve to the makeup water supply.

    2005, William C. Whitman, William M. Johnson, John A. Tomczyk, Refrigeration & Air Conditioning Technology, page 1208
  4. uncountableusuallyeducationA test given to students allowing them to repeat failed material.

    “Will I get a chance to take a makeup? My mother paid for the exam.”

    2020, Tayari Jones, Silver Sparrow, Oneworld Publications, page 117
  5. uncountableusuallybusinessIn a NIMCRUT, an amount distributed from the trust's income in subsequent years to make up for a present shortfall.
verbmakeup (third-person singular simple present makeups, present participle makeuping or makeupping, simple past and past participle makeuped or makeupped)

present singular third person makeups · participle present makeuping · participle present makeupping · participle past makeuped · past makeuped · participle past makeupped · past makeupped · alternative make-up · alternative make up

  1. alternativeAlternative form of make up (“(ambitransitive) to put makeup on (someone or something)”).

    This isn’t about plastic surgery, image management, or makeupping the facade.

    2014, Michael Yankoski, “Appendix B: Almost Answered: A Q&A with the Author”, in The Sacred Year: Mapping the Soulscape of Spiritual Practice—How Contemplating Apples, Living in a Cave, and Befriending a Dying Woman Revived My Life, W Publishing Group, →ISBN, page 335
    4 more examples

    I raided my closet and left Clay in my living room while I changed and makeuped in the bathroom.

    2005, Wendy Roberts, Dating Can Be Deadly, Red Dress Ink, →ISBN, page 229

    “If we get started showering, shaving, powdering, combing, and makeupping, we just may be able to make the eleven o’clock mass at Regina Pacis.”

    2009, Lou Manfredo, chapter 7, in Rizzo’s War, New York, N.Y.: Minotaur Books, →ISBN, page 122

    And when my guests and I got bored with stuffing our mouths, makeupping our faces, and rotting our brains, we had Bethany’s collection of classic teen comedies all queued up and ready to roll.

    2014, Megan McCafferty, Jessica Darling’s It List 2: The (Totally Not) Guaranteed Guide to Friends, Foes & Faux Friends, New York, N.Y.; Boston, Mass.: Poppy, →ISBN, page 89

    When Gracie emerges from her labor-intensive makeover in an airplane hangar—where she has been plucked, waxed, styled, makeuped, and dressed by an army of professionals—all eyes, including the stunned eyes of her love-interest-to-be Eric, are on her.

    2016, Mari Ruti, Feminist Film Theory and Pretty Woman, Bloomsbury Academic, →ISBN, page 173

Synonyms & antonyms

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

Similar
Narrower
face. See also Thesaurus:toiletry

More synonyms by meaning

nouncosmetics applied to the face to improve or change your appearance

Broader

nounan event that is substituted for a previously cancelled event

Similar
Broader

nounthe way in which someone or something is composed

Similar
constitutioncompositionphysical compositionmake-up
Broader

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Frenchmaquillage
  2. Englishmakeup

Deverbal from make up. Noun sense 2 is a semantic loan from French maquillage, from maquiller (“to make up, fabricate”).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Afrikaans grimering
  • grimeringcosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
Arabic مَاكْيَاج, بُنْيَة
  • مَاكْيَاج (makyāj)cosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
  • بُنْيَة (bunya)cosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
  • مستحضرات التجميلcosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
Bengali মেকআপ
  • মেকআপ (mekap)cosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
Bulgarian съста́в, структу́ра
  • съста́в (săstáv)an item's composition — see also composition
  • структу́ра (struktúra)an item's composition — see also composition
  • грим (grim)cosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
Catalan maquillatge
  • maquillatgecosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
Chinese Cantonese 化妝 /化妆
  • 化妝 /化妆 (faa³ zong¹)cosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
Chinese Mandarin 化妝 /化妆, 妝 /妆
  • 化妝 /化妆 (huàzhuāng)cosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
  • 妝 /妆 (zhuāng)cosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
  • 補考 /补考 (bǔkǎo)education: test given to students allowing them to repeat failed material
Czech makeup, líčidla
  • makeupcosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
  • líčidlacosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
Danish makeup, sminke
  • makeupcosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
  • sminkecosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
Dutch samenstelling, schmink
  • samenstellingan item's composition — see also composition
  • schminkcosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
  • make-upcosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
Esperanto konsisto, ŝminko
  • konsistoan item's composition — see also composition
  • ŝminkocosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
Estonian koosseis, jumestus
  • koosseisan item's composition — see also composition
  • jumestuscosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
  • meikcosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
  • grimmcosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
Finnish koostumus, meikki
  • koostumusan item's composition — see also composition
  • meikkicosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
  • pakkelicosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
  • ehostecosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
French constitution, maquillage
  • constitutionan item's composition — see also composition
  • maquillagecosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
German Schminke, Make-up
  • Schminkecosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
  • Make-upcosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
Greek μακιγιάζ, μακιγιάρισμα
  • μακιγιάζ (makigiáz)cosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
  • μακιγιάρισμα (makigiárisma)cosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
Hebrew אִפּוּר, איפור
  • אִפּוּרcosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
  • איפור (ipúr)cosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
Hindi शृंगार, शृंगार सामग्री
  • शृंगार (śŕṅgār)cosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
  • शृंगार सामग्री (śŕṅgār sāmagrī)cosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
  • मेक-अप (mek-ap)cosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
Hungarian felépítés, elrendezés
  • felépítésan item's composition — see also composition
  • elrendezésan item's composition — see also composition
  • összeállításan item's composition — see also composition
  • szerkezetan item's composition — see also composition
  • struktúraan item's composition — see also composition
  • alkatan item's composition — see also composition
  • kikészítésan item's composition — see also composition
  • tördelésan item's composition — see also composition
  • sminkcosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
  • utántöltésmanufacturing: replacement; material used to make up for the amount that has been used up
  • pótlásmanufacturing: replacement; material used to make up for the amount that has been used up
  • kiegészítésmanufacturing: replacement; material used to make up for the amount that has been used up
Icelandic farði, meik
  • farðicosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
  • meikcosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
Indonesian riasan, kosmetik
  • riasancosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
  • kosmetikcosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
  • makeupcosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
Irish dreachadh, smideadh
  • dreachadhcosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
  • smideadhcosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
Italian trucco
  • truccocosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
Japanese 化粧, メイク
  • 化粧 (keshō)cosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
  • メイク (meiku)cosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
  • メイクアップ (meikuappu)cosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
Korean 화장, 메이크업
  • 화장 (hwajang)cosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
  • 메이크업 (meikeueop)cosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
Latin offūcia
  • offūciacosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
Latvian grims, meikaps
  • grimscosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
  • meikapscosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
Lithuanian makiažas, grimas
  • makiažascosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
  • grimascosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
Malay solekan, kosmetik
  • solekancosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
  • kosmetikcosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
  • mekapcosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
Māori panipani, whakanako
  • panipanicosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
  • whakanakocosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
Norwegian Bokmål sminke
  • sminkecosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
Polish skład, makijaż
  • składan item's composition — see also composition
  • makijażcosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
Portuguese maquiagem, maquilagem
  • maquiagemcosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
  • maquilagemcosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
  • maquilhagemcosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
  • prova substitutivaeducation: test given to students allowing them to repeat failed material
  • prova de recuperaçãoeducation: test given to students allowing them to repeat failed material
  • prova de segunda chamadaeducation: test given to students allowing them to repeat failed material
  • segunda chamadaeducation: test given to students allowing them to repeat failed material
Romanian machiaj
  • machiajcosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
Russian соста́в, строе́ние
  • соста́в (sostáv)an item's composition — see also composition
  • строе́ние (strojénije)an item's composition — see also composition
  • устро́йство (ustrójstvo)an item's composition — see also composition
  • укла́д (uklád)an item's composition — see also composition
  • макия́ж (makijáž)cosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
  • грим (grim)cosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
  • гримиро́вка (grimiróvka)cosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
Slovak mejkap
  • mejkapcosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
Spanish constitución, maquillaje
  • constituciónan item's composition — see also composition
  • maquillajecosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
  • afeitecosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
  • potinguecosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
  • examen recuperatorioeducation: test given to students allowing them to repeat failed material
  • día recuperatorioeducation: test given to students allowing them to repeat failed material
Swahili kipodozi
  • kipodozicosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
Swedish smink, kosmetika
  • sminkcosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
  • kosmetikacosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
  • make-upcosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
Thai เครื่องสำอาง
  • เครื่องสำอาง (krʉ̂ʉang-sǎm-aang)cosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
Turkish makyaj
  • makyajcosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
Ukrainian склад, макія́ж
  • склад (sklad)an item's composition — see also composition
  • макія́ж (makijáž)cosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
  • грим (hrym)cosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
Urdu میک اَپ, سِن٘گار
  • میک اَپ (mek ap)cosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
  • سِن٘گار (siṅgār)cosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
  • سِن٘گھار (siṅghār)cosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
Vietnamese đồ trang điểm
  • đồ trang điểmcosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
Welsh colur
  • colurcosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance
Yiddish קאָסמעטיק
  • קאָסמעטיק (kosmetik)cosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to alter its appearance

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with makeup

All rhymes →

Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

makeup. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/makeup

MLA

“makeup.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/makeup. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “makeup,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/makeup.

Source: makeup on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.