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THE IDIOM COLLECTION LEARN & PRACTISE

Make up for lost time

Understand the meaning. See it in context. Make it yours.

01 / UNDERSTAND

Meaning in plain English

Do or enjoy something more because you missed the chance to do it earlier.

02 / SEE IT IN CONTEXT

The expression in a sentence

  1. After months apart, the cousins made up for lost time with a long afternoon together.

03 / CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING

Quick idiom quiz

Try the question without looking back, then write a sentence of your own. You can retry as often as you like.

Can you recall the expression?

Which expression from this lesson matches this meaning?

Do or enjoy something more because you missed the chance to do it earlier.
Show the answer

Make up for lost time — Do or enjoy something more because you missed the chance to do it earlier.

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Make it yours

Write one sentence using “Make up for lost time” about your own life.

Check your sentence

Does your sentence match this meaning?

Do or enjoy something more because you missed the chance to do it earlier.

Compare: After months apart, the cousins made up for lost time with a long afternoon together.

Check the spelling and how the expression fits the sentence. Your example can be different.

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More ways to understand and use it

When to use it

Use this expression about catching up on experiences or time together after a delay or missed opportunity. It is natural in conversation.

More examples in context

  • I never learned to swim as a child, so I’m making up for lost time now.
  • Once the community garden reopened, we made up for lost time with regular visits.

Usage note

The past form is “made up for lost time”. The expression is figurative: you cannot literally recover past hours, but you can do more of what you missed.

A short conversation

A: You’ve been to three concerts this month!
B: I couldn’t go to any last year, so I’m making up for lost time.
A: Which one did you enjoy most?

One more practice question

Who is making up for lost time?

A. Someone who now enjoys an activity they previously had no chance to do.
B. Someone who stops doing an activity they have always enjoyed regularly.

Check your answer

A. The person is taking opportunities that were unavailable before.

Related lessons

Meaning and usage checked against Cambridge Dictionary. Explanations, examples and conversation are original.

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