makeshift

American  

[meyk-shift] / ˈmeɪkˌʃɪft /

noun

1. a temporary expedient or substitute.

   We used boxes as a makeshift while the kitchen chairs were being painted.

   Synonyms:

   jury-rig, contrivance, make-do

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adjective

1. Also makeshifty. serving as, or of the nature of, a makeshift.

   Synonyms:

   ersatz, jury, improvised, temporary, emergency

makeshift British  

/ ˈmeɪkˌʃɪft /

adjective

1. serving as a temporary or expedient means, esp during an emergency

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noun

1. something serving in this capacity

Etymology

Origin of makeshift

First recorded in 1555–65; noun, adj. use of verb phrase make shift

Explanation

If you have to use a garbage can lid as a sled or a set of drapes as a ball gown, then you know what it means to put together a makeshift creation. Something makeshift has been improvised, thrown together with whatever is around. What's interesting about makeshift is the way it can vary in meaning from approval to criticism. Those people trapped on the island in Lost? They came up with some pretty cool makeshift tents and survival ideas. But a government described as makeshift, for example, probably has little going for it.

Example Sentences

At a makeshift morgue in Khartoum, engineer turned mortician Ali Gebbai clicked through a spreadsheet of the dead.

From Barron's • Apr. 27, 2026

The hotel was a “soft target” with a makeshift perimeter, and there were “almost zero intervention points” where the shooter could have been apprehended before arriving, Shortland said.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 26, 2026

Investigations found basic safety norms were flouted - explosives stored in makeshift sheds, weak enforcement, poor compliance and a combination of competitive, community-driven pressure to override regulations, according to a study published in 2018.

From BBC • Apr. 22, 2026

Elsewhere, police dismantled a makeshift barrier erected by protesters blockading western Galway docks.

From Barron's • Apr. 12, 2026

Emma and Carrie lived in squalor, depending on charity, food donations, and makeshift work to support a meager lifestyle.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee