make something of
Idioms-
Render important or useful; improve. For example, Dad hoped Tim would make something of himself . [Late 1700s]
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Give undue importance to something, especially a problem or disagreement, as in Ann decided to make something of it when Bob said women's studies is not a real discipline . This usage sometimes is put as make something out of nothing , as in So what if Jim had coffee with your girlfriend—don't make something out of nothing . For an antonym, see make nothing of , def. 1.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But I understood if I was going to make something of myself, I had to do it myself.
He described his client as an "industrious and hard-working person who wants to make something of his life", and said he was "remorseful" for what happened.
From BBC
“We as Americans have always prioritized ‘Go build something,’ make something of yourself.
The people who end up with relationships that feel uniquely "meant to be" are often the ones who stopped waiting for fate, turned towards the flawed person in front of them and said, in effect: shall we make something of this?
From BBC
I am to this day faithfully obsessed with his methods and writing style, but as I arrived in Los Angeles, I was just hoping to write one sentence one day as good as any one sentence in “Garp,” and by so doing, make something of myself.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
