Synonyms

adjust

American

[uh-juhst] / əˈdʒʌst /

verb (used with object)

to change (something) so that it fits, corresponds, or conforms; adapt; accommodate.

to adjust expenses to income.
to put in good working order; regulate; bring to a proper state or position.

to adjust an instrument.

Synonyms:

fix, repair, set
to settle or bring to a satisfactory state, so that parties are agreed in the result.

to adjust our differences.

Synonyms:

reconcile, rectify, arrange
Insurance. to determine the amount to be paid in settlement of (a claim).
to systematize.
Military. to correct the elevation or deflection of (a gun).

verb (used without object)

to adapt oneself; become adapted.

They had no problems in adjusting at the new school.

adjust British

/ əˈdʒʌst /

verb

(tr) to alter slightly, esp to achieve accuracy; regulate

to adjust the television
to adapt, as to a new environment, etc
(tr) to put into order
(tr) insurance to determine the amount payable in settlement of (a claim)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Usage

What does adjust mean? To adjust is to change something so that it fits or adapts to something else or to its environment, as in Macky adjusted the menu so that it included more healthy dishes. To adjust is also to fix or put into a correct position or state, as in Adjust the radio dial, please, so that the station comes in clearly. To adjust also means to put into a satisfactory state, as in Laird adjusted the pitch of his voice to blend in better with the rest of the choir. Adjust can also be used as a synonym for adapt and can be used in reference to people, animals, or objects. For example, if you move to a new city, you may need time to adjust to your new home, learning what’s available and where everything is. Example: Adjust the speakers so that they are facing the audience.

Synonym Usage

Adjust, adapt, alter in their literal meanings imply making necessary or desirable changes (as in position, shape, or the like). To adjust is to move into proper position for use: to adjust the eyepiece of a telescope. To adapt is to make a change in character, to make something useful in a new way: to adapt a paper clip for a hairpin. To alter is to change the appearance but not the use: to alter the height of a table.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of adjust

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English ajusten, from Anglo-French ajuster, Old French aj(o)uster “to make conform to,” verb derivative (with a- a- ⁵ ) of juste “right” ( see just ¹), influenced in sense by ajoster, ajouter “to add,” from Late Latin adjuxtāre ( see ad-, joust)

Explanation

When you adjust to something, you change so that you can fit in, conform, or keep on going. Arriving at a new school almost always requires that you adjust a little. Once you adjust, you'll find you're as happy as you were in your old school. To adjust doesn't mean to transform in a major way. It implies small but important changes that make a big difference. If you adjust your speed by just ten miles per hour, you'll get more than fifty more miles per fill-up. You can adjust your hair to make it fancier, you can adjust your lifestyle to make it more sober, or you can adjust your attitude to make yourself less annoying. You used to have to adjust your TV antenna to get a better picture. Ask your mom.

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

adjust adjusts adjusted adjusting

Users can also set up the devices to recognize key moments throughout the day, like someone leaving for work, and automatically adjust temperature, door locks and cameras, according to Apple.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026

“But I can’t help thinking, if you have that productivity, we will adjust and we will find jobs.”

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026

Suffering glaucoma, with failing eyesight, she was unable to even do basic things like adjust the controls on her air conditioner.

From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026

Feeling overwhelmed by stress or struggling to adjust when things go wrong?

From Science Daily ● Oct. 13, 2026

In contrast, humankind ascended to the top so quickly that the ecosystem was not given time to adjust.

From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari

The trucks have a perception system that adjusts quickly without having to slam the brakes and sees and avoids potential hazards early.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2026

Working inside a refrigerated metal chamber, she carefully adjusts a mounted tumor, roughly the size of a pinkie fingernail, toward a sharp cutting blade.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 15, 2026

As a side sleeper, he adjusts its height using a folded towel laid underneath it.

From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026

Social Security adjusts your benefit at FRA to account for those months during which your benefits were withheld because of excess earnings.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 31, 2026

He adjusts his grip and then tosses a wobbling pitch that sails way over my head.

From "A High Five for Glenn Burke" by Phil Bildner

I adjusted my button-down collar in my hallway mirror, having agreed to meet Barry at Outback Steakhouse in La Habra.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026

The Internal Revenue Service calculates tax due on your Social Security based on your “combined income,” which consists of your adjusted gross income, tax-exempt interest, and half of your annual Social Security benefits.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026

The sales projections are adjusted to calendar years for companies whose fiscal reporting periods don’t match the calendar.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026

It should increase its 2026 adjusted net income guidance to at least 6.8 billion euros, he adds.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026

For the hundredth time, Penelope adjusted her new hat.

From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood

It made their activity patterns more specialized for emotional information, suggesting that the brain was adjusting how it encoded emotionally meaningful experiences.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026

He also spoke about the early days of adjusting to a new club and home, something he describes as "really difficult".

From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026

Consumer spending was up by 2.6% in August from a year earlier even after adjusting for inflation, according to the Commerce Department.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026

Skydance shares are adjusting to the distribution of warrants that give eligible shareholders the right to buy stock at $12 a share.

From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026

Three waiters descended on the table, filling water glasses, adjusting silverware and plates.

From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023