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

The ability to adjust that motion through temperature and magnetic fields also provides an additional way to influence how superconductors behave.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026

Medicare’s open-enrollment period officially starts on Thursday, allowing beneficiaries to adjust their health insurance plans or find new options altogether.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 15, 2026

Indexed annuities guarantee no market losses, but insurers can periodically adjust the formula for returns.

From The Wall Street Journal ● 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

She knew Thorn was right and that she had to adjust her attitude unless she wanted to stay a Forever Witchling: witches who never formed a coven.

From "Witchlings" by Claribel A. Ortega

A team monitoring the livestreams guides the hosts and adjusts the featured products they talk about in real time.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026

Common letters can certainly be useful, but the mathematical approach continually adjusts its choices based on what has already been learned.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 12, 2026

Cesci Burgoyne, a nurse based in Sydney, Australia who is also a qualified personal trainer and nutritionist, adjusts her training depending on how she feels in her cycle.

From BBC ● Sep. 9, 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

I watch him with newfound curiosity: the way he tucks the fallen strand of hair behind his ear, the few freckles he has on his nose, how he adjusts his jacket.

From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton

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

From MarketWatch ● 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

Analysts polled by FactSet expected adjusted earnings of $1.51 a share.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026

After a while, Cat adjusted to his speed and they reached a steady pace.

From "Caterpillar Summer" by Gillian McDunn

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

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

“We have already strengthened our posture along the eastern flank and will continue to monitor the security environment, adjusting our deterrence and defense posture as needed,” Rutte wrote on X, without attributing blame.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026

Anya’s eyes were adjusting to the near pitch-darkness of the bag.

From Anya and the Dragon by Sofiya Pasternack

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