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

Burnham said this will stay in place until 2030, at which point he would like to "adjust it".

From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026

"In this league, you have so many different opponents and you have to be able to adjust and do something different," said the Blues boss.

From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026

Carefully controlled laser beams were then used to adjust how the ions interacted with one another.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 26, 2026

Treasury yields closely follow expectations for how the Fed will set interest rates in the future, so as investors adjust to expectations of higher short-term rates, long-term yields rise as well.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026

She’d enrolled in Kinloch Abbey and was trying to adjust.

From "City Spies" by James Ponti

That pattern suggests the sleeping brain adjusts its blood vessels in response to changing neuronal activity and metabolic demand.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 26, 2026

Companies have also developed new products for the older population, including a powered exoskeleton to support moving various parts of the body and eyewear that automatically adjusts its focus.

From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026

All eyes have been on Justin Herbert this offseason as he adjusts to Mike McDaniel’s new-look offense.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026

ARMs have a fixed, typically lower mortgage rate for the first three, five or seven years, after which the rate adjusts regularly.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026

The judge waits a few seconds to make sure the silence holds, then adjusts his glasses.

From "Legend" by Marie Lu

As soon as we’ve adjusted to the absurdism, Iñárritu gives the movie a seismic jolt.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 29, 2026

For the second quarter, Shein’s revenue rose 0.9% to $11.08 billion, while adjusted net income fell by two-thirds to $228.0 million.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026

The CDP has now considered this issue and adjusted their decision on the sanction accordingly.

From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026

In the second quarter, adjusted net margin fell sharply from 6.2 percent to 2.1 percent on-year.

From Barron's ● Sep. 28, 2026

After a few moments, her eyes adjusted to the dimness.

From Anya and the Dragon by Sofiya Pasternack

"Our expectations remain that the conflict will be with markets for the foreseeable future and the global economy will continue adjusting to the realities of the supply disruptions," said Ian Lyngen at BMO Capital Markets.

From Barron's ● Sep. 29, 2026

Smaller improvements — like adjusting the amount of oil used to fry chicken and tweaking other fryer settings — would go a long way across its more than 46,000 restaurants worldwide, executives said.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 23, 2026

Roman carried out its first burn on Aug. 31, adjusting its path toward the observatory's eventual orbit.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 18, 2026

The lawsuit alleges people wearing the smart glasses were unwittingly transmitting data to Meta whenever they used Meta AI by saying “Hey Meta,” or sometimes accidentally when adjusting the glasses.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026

“Oh, no doubt, my dear, most definitely,” she said, adjusting her flowered bonnet and sucking at her teeth.

From "Ophie's Ghosts" by Justina Ireland

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