Idiom Topics
The Ubiquitous Essentials
10- On the other hand
- At the end of the day
- In the long run
- Bear in mind
- A piece of cake
- Keep an eye on
- Out of the blue
- Rule of thumb
- So far, so good
- Behind the scenes
Everyday Casual & Workplace
10- Under the weather
- Call it a day
- Up in the air
- Wrap your head around
- Break the ice
- Get out of hand
- Go the extra mile
- Touch base
- Hit the nail on the head
- Cut corners
Problem Solving & Interaction
10- See eye to eye
- Read between the lines
- Take it with a grain of salt
- Get the hang of it
- Give the benefit of the doubt
- The elephant in the room
- Hit the ground running
- Play it by ear
- Bite the bullet
- Sit on the fence
Decisions & Perspectives
9- Jump on the bandwagon
- Cross that bridge when we come to it
- The best of both worlds
- A blessing in disguise
- Once in a blue moon
- Pull someone's leg
- Miss the boat
- Better late than never
- Get your act together
Colorful & Traditional
10- Spill the beans
- Let the cat out of the bag
- Bite off more than you can chew
- Go back to the drawing board
- Barking up the wrong tree
- Actions speak louder than words
- A penny for your thoughts
- Break a leg
- Hit the sack
- Beat around the bush
Academic & Formal Discourse
10- Bear fruit
- Pave the way
- Shed light on
- Go hand in hand
- Tip the scales
- Fly in the face of
- Bring to the table
- Turn a blind eye
- Draw a blank
- State of the art
Emotions & Reactions
10- Over the moon
- Down in the dumps
- On edge
- Blow off steam
- Keep your cool
- Drive someone up the wall
- On cloud nine
- A weight off my shoulders
- At your wits' end
- Thrilled to bits
Effort, Success, & Failure
10- Start from scratch
- Pass with flying colors
- Fall flat
- Go down the drain
- Keep your head above water
- Pay off
- Throw in the towel
- Make headway
- Uphill battle
- Back to square one
Time, Speed, & Urgency
10- Beat the clock
- At the eleventh hour
- Around the clock
- In the nick of time
- Drag your feet
- Time flies
- Make up for lost time
- Call time on
- Ahead of the curve
- On the spur of the moment
Resources, Money, & Value
10- Make ends meet
- Foot the bill
- Break the bank
- Tighten your belt
- Bang for your buck
- A drop in the ocean
- Make a killing
- On a shoestring budget
- Worth your weight in gold
- Pay top dollar
Make up for lost time
Learn the meaning, origin, and usage of the idiom "Make up for lost time" with five example sentences across different contexts. This idiom is part of ourTime, Speed, & Urgency collection for PTE and IELTS preparation.
Make up for lost time
To do something with more intensity, frequency, or speed because you did not have the opportunity to do it earlier.
History & Origin
The concept of 'making up' for a deficit dates back to Middle English, where it meant to complete or supplement a shortage. Over the centuries, as industrialization tightly bound daily life to strict mechanical schedules, the phrase evolved to describe the frantic human desire to outpace the clock after a delay.
Examples
Since our shipping was delayed by a week, we will need to work overtime this weekend to make up for lost time and meet our client's deadline.
After not seeing my childhood friend for nearly ten years, we stayed up until 4:00 AM talking just to make up for lost time.
In the post-war era, the manufacturing sector accelerated production dramatically, attempting to make up for lost time caused by wartime supply shortages.
Following a month-long injury layoff, the star forward scored a hat-trick in last night's match, proving he is eager to make up for lost time.
As we reopen our cultural institutions today, we must invest heavily in our youth programs to make up for lost time during the prolonged closures.
Quiz
Which of the following sentences uses the idiom correctly?
A. I lost my gold watch yesterday, so I need to go to the jewelry store to make up for lost time.
B. The project was delayed by a month due to supply issues, so the team worked extra hours to make up for lost time.
C. She missed her flight and arrived late, which made up for lost time for the entire conference schedule.
D. If you don't know what time the meeting starts, you should make up for lost time by checking the calendar.