made me

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "made me" is correct and usable in written English.
It is typically used in the context of describing an emotion, action, or feeling someone has experienced. For example: "His kind words made me feel significant".

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

You made me cry".

The New Yorker

It made me strong.

The New York Times

It made me tougher".

The New York Times - Sports

It made me better".

The New York Times - Sports

It made me uncomfortable.

The New Yorker

It made me angry.

The New York Times

It made me happy.

The New Yorker

"It made me tough".

The New York Times - Sports

Made me pretty happy.

The New York Times - Magazine

It made me cry.

Independent

"Jail made me religious.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "made me" to clearly express cause-and-effect relationships between events and your feelings or actions. For example, "The movie made me cry" clearly shows the movie's effect.

Common error

Avoid using "made me" in overly passive constructions, as it can weaken your writing. Instead of "I was made to do it", consider "They made me do it" for a more direct and impactful sentence.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "made me" functions as a causative verb phrase, indicating that someone or something caused the speaker to experience a particular emotion, perform an action, or enter a specific state. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

95%

Science

3%

Formal & Business

1%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "made me" is a versatile and grammatically sound construction used to express causality and personal experience. As Ludwig AI confirms, it’s appropriate for use in various contexts, especially in News & Media. While incredibly common, remember to evaluate if a more formal expression might be fitting, or to avoid overuse in passive constructions. Pay attention to the context and intended emotional impact when choosing this phrase, and consider alternatives like "caused me to" or "led me to" for nuanced expression.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

caused me to

Replaces "made" with "caused", emphasizing the reason behind the action or feeling.

led me to

Suggests a sequence or progression resulting from an action.

prompted me to

Highlights the instigation or motivation behind an action.

drove me to

Implies a strong, compelling force that influenced an action.

compelled me to

Emphasizes a sense of obligation or necessity.

inspired me to

Highlights a positive influence that motivated an action.

influenced me to

Suggests a more subtle or indirect impact on one's actions.

had me

A more colloquial expression indicating a strong emotional effect.

left me

Focuses on the resulting state or feeling after an event.

rendered me

A more formal way of saying "made me", often used to describe a change in state.

FAQs

How can I rephrase "made me" to sound more formal?

In formal contexts, you can replace "made me" with phrases like "caused me to", "led me to", or "prompted me to". For example, instead of "The situation made me anxious", you could say "The situation caused me to feel anxious".

What's a more emotional way to say "made me"?

If you want to emphasize the emotional impact, consider using phrases like "had me" or "left me". For instance, "The story had me in tears" conveys a stronger emotional response than "The story made me cry".

Is it always appropriate to use "made me" in professional writing?

While "made me" is grammatically correct, it can sometimes sound informal in professional contexts. Evaluate the specific context and consider whether a more formal alternative, such as "led me to" or "prompted me to", might be more suitable.

What are some common phrases that follow "made me"?

Common phrases that follow "made me" include emotional states like "made me happy", "made me sad", or "made me angry", as well as actions like "made me think", "made me realize", or "made me do it".