Made is the past tense of the verb make, which means to create, build, or cause something to happen. When you've made something, you've brought it into existence through your own effort or skill.

You might have made a paper airplane, made your bed this morning, or made a new friend at school. A chef makes dinner, and after cooking, the dinner has been made. A carpenter makes furniture; once finished, that chair or table is made.

The word also describes what something consists of or comes from. A baseball is made of leather and cork. Your shirt might be made of cotton. The Golden Gate Bridge is made of steel.

When someone says a person has “got it made,” they mean that person is in a fortunate position where things are going well for them. If you say someone is a “self-made” success, you're noting they achieved something through their own work rather than inheriting it or having it handed to them.

Sometimes made appears in phrases that show causing something to happen: “The funny video made me laugh” or “The sad story made her cry.” In these cases, something caused a feeling or reaction.