Make out or makeout?
make out is a verb meaning “To draw up (a document etc.), to designate (a cheque)”; makeout is a noun meaning “An act of making out; passionate kissing or petting”. Use make out as a verb and makeout as a noun (make out is also a noun: “Alternative form of make out”). make out is written as two words and makeout as one word; they are used differently.
What is the difference between make out and makeout?
| make out | makeout | |
|---|---|---|
| Part of speech | verb, noun | noun |
| Meaning | To draw up (a document etc.), to designate (a cheque) To discern; to manage to see, hear etc | An act of making out; passionate kissing or petting |
| Example | Cheques may be made out to the Foo Bar Company | a makeout spot |
| Forms | none | makeouts |
| Pronunciation | /meɪk aʊt/ /meɪk æɔt/ /meɪk æʊt/ | not recorded |
| In writing | not counted (the list counts single words) | about once in every 9 million words |
Sources: make out and makeout in the English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0); written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
Every current meaning of make out and makeout
make out
- 1
To draw up (a document etc.), to designate (a cheque)
Cheques may be made out to the Foo Bar Company
- 2
Alternative form of make out
Equal parts jazz landmark and make-out album, it rewards the listener on every level, and established modal jazz as a sub-genre that is still being explored
- 3
To discern; to manage to see, hear etc
In the distance, I could just make out a shadowy figure
- 4
USTo manage, get along; to do (well, badly etc.)
Oh, you were on a TV game show? How did you make out?
- 5
To represent; to make (something) appear to be true
His version of the story makes me out (to be) the bad guy
- 6
USslangTo get along with (someone)
Him and I always make out well
- 7
USslangTo make an (often temporary) home
I'll make out in this room for the night
- 8
USslangTo embrace and kiss passionately
We found a secluded spot where we could make out in private
makeout
- 1
An act of making out; passionate kissing or petting
a makeout spot
Source: the English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0); obsolete, archaic, dialect and rare senses left out.
Which is more common, make out or makeout?
make out is a phrase, which the list of single words does not count; makeout about once in every 9 million words.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).