fix
Americanverb (used with object)
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fixes,
present (3rd person singular)
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fixed,
past participle, past
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fixt,
past participle, past (Archaic)
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fixing
present participle
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to repair; mend.
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to put in order or in good condition; adjust or arrange.
She fixed her hair in a bun.
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to make fast, firm, or stable.
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to place definitely and more or less permanently.
to fix a circus poster to a wall.
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to settle definitely; determine.
to fix a price.
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to direct (the eyes, the attention, etc.) steadily.
His eyes were fixed on the distant ship.
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to attract and hold (the eye, the attention, etc.).
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to make set or rigid.
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to put into permanent form.
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to put or place (responsibility, blame, etc.) on a person.
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to assign or refer to a definite place, time, etc.
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to provide or supply with (something needed or wanted).
How are you fixed for money?
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Informal. to arrange or influence the outcome or action of, especially privately or dishonestly.
to fix a jury; to fix a game.
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to get (a meal); prepare (food).
What time shall I fix supper?
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Informal. to put in a condition or position to make no further trouble.
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Informal. to get even with; get revenge upon.
I'll fix him!
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Informal. to castrate or spay (an animal, especially a pet).
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Chemistry.
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to make stable in consistency or condition; reduce from fluidity or volatility to a more stable state.
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to convert atmospheric nitrogen into a useful compound, as a nitrate fertilizer.
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Photography. to render (an image) permanent by removing light-sensitive silver halides.
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Microscopy. to kill, make rigid, and preserve for microscopic study.
verb (used without object)
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fixes,
present (3rd person singular)
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fixed,
past participle, past
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fixt,
past participle, past (Archaic)
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fixing
present participle
-
to become fixed.
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to become set; assume a rigid or solid form.
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to become stable or permanent.
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to settle down.
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Slang. to inject oneself with a narcotic.
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Chiefly Southern U.S. to prepare; plan (usually followed by an infinitive).
I was just fixing to call you. We're fixing to go to Colorado this summer.
noun
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fixes
plural
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Informal. a position from which it is difficult to escape; predicament.
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Informal. a repair, adjustment, or solution, usually of an immediate nature.
Can you think of a fix for the problem?
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Navigation.
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a charted position of a vessel or aircraft, determined by two or more bearings taken on landmarks, heavenly bod-ies, etc.
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the determining of the position of a ship, plane, etc., by mathematical, electronic, or other means.
The navigator took a fix on the sun and steered the ship due north.
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a clear determination.
Can you get a fix on what he really means?
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Slang.
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an injection of heroin or other narcotic.
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the narcotic or amount of narcotic injected.
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a compulsively sought dose or infusion of something.
to need one's daily fix of soap operas on TV.
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Slang.
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an underhand or illegal arrangement, especially one secured through bribery or influence.
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a contest, situation, etc., whose outcome is prearranged dishonestly.
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verb phrase
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fix on / upon to decide on; determine.
We won't be able to fix on a location for the banquet until we know the number of guests.
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fix up
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to arrange for.
to fix up a date.
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to provide with; furnish.
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to repair; renew.
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to smooth over; solve.
They weren't able to fix up their differences.
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idioms
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fix one's wagon, to exact retribution for an offense; treat someone vengefully.
I'll dock his pay and that will fix his wagon.
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in a fix, pregnant.
verb
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(also intr) to make or become firm, stable, or secure
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to attach or place permanently
fix the mirror to the wall
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(often foll by up) to settle definitely; decide
let us fix a date
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to hold or direct (eyes, attention, etc) steadily
he fixed his gaze on the woman
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to call to attention or rivet
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to make rigid
to fix one's jaw
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to place or ascribe
to fix the blame on someone
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to mend or repair
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informal to provide with
how are you fixed for supplies?
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informal to influence (a person, outcome of a contest, etc) unfairly, as by bribery
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slang to take revenge on; get even with, esp by killing
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informal to give (someone) his just deserts
that'll fix him
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informal to arrange or put in order
to fix one's hair
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informal to prepare
to fix a meal
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dialect to spay or castrate (an animal)
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dialect to prepare oneself
I'm fixing to go out
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photog to treat (a film, plate, or paper) with fixer to make permanent the image rendered visible by developer
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cytology to kill, preserve, and harden (tissue, cells, etc) for subsequent microscopic study
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to convert (atmospheric nitrogen) into nitrogen compounds, as in the manufacture of fertilizers or the action of bacteria in the soil
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to convert (carbon dioxide) into organic compounds, esp carbohydrates, as occurs in photosynthesis in plants and some microorganisms
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to reduce (a substance) to a solid or condensed state or a less volatile state
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slang (intr) to inject a drug
noun
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informal a predicament; dilemma
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the ascertaining of the navigational position, as of a ship, by radar, observation, etc
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slang an intravenous injection of a drug, esp heroin
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informal an act or instance of bribery
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To convert inorganic carbon or nitrogen into stable, organic compounds that can be assimilated into organisms. Photosynthetic organisms such as green plants fix carbon in carbohydrates as food; certain bacteria fix nitrogen as ammonia that can be absorbed directly or through nitrification by plant roots.
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See more at carbon fixation nitrogen fixation
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To convert a substance, especially a gas, into solid or liquid form by chemical reactions.
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To kill and preserve a tissue specimen rapidly to retain as nearly as possible the characteristics it had in the living body.
Usage
Fix meaning “to repair” appears to have been used first in America, but it is long established and has been used in England since the early 19th century: The engineer quickly fixed the faulty valve. The verb use is fully standard in all varieties of speech and writing, and objections to it on the grounds of style merely reflect personal prejudice, not the practice of educated speakers and writers. The noun fix meaning “repair, adjustment” is informal. Fix ( to ) meaning “to prepare, plan (to)” is another Americanism: We're fixing to go to town. It once occurred in all the eastern coastal states, but it is now chiefly an informal spoken form in the South Midland and South.
Synonym Usage
Fix, establish imply making firm or permanent. To fix is to fasten in position securely or to make more or less permanent against change, especially something already existing: to fix a bayonet on a gun; fix a principle in one's mind. To establish is to make firm or permanent something (usually newly) originated, created, or ordained: to establish a business, a claim to property.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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fixsimple
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fixessimple
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have fixedperfect
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have fixtperfect
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has fixedperfect
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has fixtperfect
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am fixingprogressive
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are fixingprogressive
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is fixingprogressive
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have been fixingperfect progressive
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has been fixingperfect progressive
Past
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fixedsimple
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fixtsimple
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had fixedperfect
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had fixtperfect
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was fixingprogressive
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were fixingprogressive
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had been fixingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of fix
First recorded in 1350–1400; (verb) Middle English fixen, from Middle French fixer or Medieval Latin fixāre, derivative of Latin fixus “fixed,” past participle of fīgere “to fasten”
Vocabulary lists containing fix
"Ain't I a Woman?"
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Unit 3, Small-Group Learning
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Selection Vocabulary 4, Unit 4
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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:
The only civilian in the surrounding streets is trying to fix a tire on his car, punctured by debris from the blast.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026
Hall of Famer Gary Patterson hasn’t been able to fix it yet.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026
He also had to fix a leaking roof.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 1, 2026
Google said Argon excels at complex tasks in software engineering, legal and financial work and cyber defense, with a leading ability to find and fix critical software flaws.
From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026
“We fix this one, and then we figure out how to deal with the mess at the mountain.”
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
County officials were previously warned about flaws — yet few fixes have been made.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
The department said Abbott used temporary but inadequate fixes to try to solve the problems.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
And after any fixes, the entire 746-mile pipeline will have to be pressure-tested, and all components checked and cleared before meaningful throughput can resume, Shah added.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 14, 2026
But the immediate fixes are possibly more mundane: more landing stations, greater geographical diversity, faster permissions, protected cable routes and an Indian repair capability.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
TJ fixes his eyes on Junito, then smiles and waves at him.
From "Like Vanessa" by Tami Charles
The TSE has not set a fixed time for the release of the official results, but they are expected within hours because voting is electronic and in previous elections results have tended to come quickly.
From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026
David was uncharacteristically late, and when he appeared out of the crowd, he walked with an uncertain gait and had a fixed expression on his face.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
Aarthi Swaminathan interviewed a couple who took out an ARM in 2023, when 30-year fixed rates had climbed to 8%.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 2, 2026
The Act also means tenancies are rolling rather than fixed term, and makes it harder for landlords to evict tenants.
From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026
So the teachers got a new sofa and chairs, and the furniture store donated a new rug, and they painted the walls and fixed the door and bought new curtains and a big green plant.
From "The Best School Year Ever" by Barbara Robinson
Heere is fixt the epitaph of Sir Henry Kebyll, Knight, Who was sometime of London Maior, a famous worthy wight, Which did this Aldermarie Church erect and set upright.
From Old and New London Volume I by Walter Thornbury
The Muscle of the Stapes or Stirrup is also hid in a Bony Tube, almost at the bottom of the Drum, and fixt in the Head of the Stapes.
From The Compleat Surgeon or, the whole Art of Surgery explain'd in a most familiar Method. by Charles Gabriel Le Clerc
Why do those Eyes, Loves Tapers, that on whomsoe'er they are fixt, kindle straight Desire, now seem to Nod, and Wink, and hardly Glimmer in their Sockets?
From The Female Wits by Anonymous
Be still, my soul, be still; the arms you bear are brittle, Earth and high heaven are fixt of old and founded strong.
From The Open Question a tale of two temperaments by Elizabeth Robins
Rapt in wonder, he gazed "up to the fixt stars, that radiant numberless host of heaven."
From Benjamin Franklin Representative selections, with introduction, bibliograpy, and notes by Chester E. Jorgenson
Naval Academy, having deemed GPS dependable, stopped teaching midshipmen celestial navigation—the discipline of fixing a ship’s position based on timed sightings of the sun and the stars.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026
The 18 large leaks Buckley mentioned fixing account for more than 142,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide prevented from entering the atmosphere, she said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
Scotland fans should be buoyed by the new head coach recognising the problems in his team and then fixing them.
From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026
Finding other causes is important, since fixing housing markets can only get us part of the way there.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 22, 2026
“The time you were fixing the pulley on the well, and fell in,” Daisy said.
From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
