Cool MateHe's going to make it vs Thrive
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
He's going to make it
Top 5,000 (fairly common)
Thrive
Top 2,000 (common)C1verb
Most common: Thrive
| He's going to make it | Thrive | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 //hiːz ˈgəʊɪŋ tə meɪk ɪt//🇺🇸 //hiz ˈɡoʊɪŋ tə meɪk ɪt// | 🇬🇧 /["/θraɪv/","/θraɪvz/","/θraɪvd/","/ˈθraɪvɪŋ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/θraɪv/","/θraɪvz/","/θraɪvd/","/ˈθraɪvɪŋ/"]/ |
| Meaning | He will succeed or achieve something. | To grow strong and be successful. |
| Example | Despite the challenges, I believe he's going to make it. | New businesses thrive in this area. |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 5,000 (fairly common) | Top 2,000 (common) |
| CEFR level | - | C1 |
| Part of speech | verb | |
| Collocations | going to make it, make it happen, make it through, make it work, make it in life | positively, still, seem to, continue to, fail to, on, failure to thrive |
| Antonyms | - | fail, decline, wither |
| Common mistakes | Confusing with 'He's going to do it', which is less certain., Using 'going to' with indefinite subjects when it's specific., Incorrectly implying failure instead of success. | Confusing with 'survive' - thrive means to do well, while survive means to just get by., Using it in a negative sentence - thrive is generally positive, so it's rare to say 'does not thrive.', Confusing the prepositions - remember to use 'on', 'in', or 'through' correctly. |
| Usage notes | Used to express confidence in someone's future success. Informal settings are common; avoid in overly formal contexts. | This word is suitable in both casual and professional contexts. Use it to describe personal growth or the success of businesses and plants. Avoid using it in overly negative contexts. |
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Frequently asked questions: He's going to make it vs Thrive
What's the difference between He's going to make it and Thrive?
He's going to make it: He will succeed or achieve something. Thrive: To grow strong and be successful.
Which is more common: He's going to make it and Thrive?
Thrive is the most common in everyday English.
Can you show an example of each?
He's going to make it: Despite the challenges, I believe he's going to make it. Thrive: New businesses thrive in this area.
Can I use He's going to make it and Thrive interchangeably?
Not always. He's going to make it and Thrive are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.