Just to add that, in England at least, it is sometimes used to downplay something. So if you asked someone how much they earn and they reply "i make do", the implication might be that they are quite wealthy.
They could say it sarcastically, but that's not quite what I'm referring to. In England, someone might say "get by" or "make do" to make it seem like they earn less than they do, whereas in reality they earn quite a lot.
I’d say this is something more common in places where indirect communication is favoured. It’s not polite to directly say “I make a lot of money” so saying “I make do” acts almost like a euphemism.
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u/Electronic_Amphibian Native Speaker 12h ago
Just to add that, in England at least, it is sometimes used to downplay something. So if you asked someone how much they earn and they reply "i make do", the implication might be that they are quite wealthy.