fix
Americanverb (used with object)
-
fixes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
fixed,
past participle, past
-
fixt,
past participle, past (Archaic)
-
fixing
present participle
-
to repair; mend.
-
to put in order or in good condition; adjust or arrange.
She fixed her hair in a bun.
-
to make fast, firm, or stable.
-
to place definitely and more or less permanently.
to fix a circus poster to a wall.
-
to settle definitely; determine.
to fix a price.
-
to direct (the eyes, the attention, etc.) steadily.
His eyes were fixed on the distant ship.
-
to attract and hold (the eye, the attention, etc.).
-
to make set or rigid.
-
to put into permanent form.
-
to put or place (responsibility, blame, etc.) on a person.
-
to assign or refer to a definite place, time, etc.
-
to provide or supply with (something needed or wanted).
How are you fixed for money?
-
Informal. to arrange or influence the outcome or action of, especially privately or dishonestly.
to fix a jury; to fix a game.
-
to get (a meal); prepare (food).
What time shall I fix supper?
-
Informal. to put in a condition or position to make no further trouble.
-
Informal. to get even with; get revenge upon.
I'll fix him!
-
Informal. to castrate or spay (an animal, especially a pet).
-
Chemistry.
-
to make stable in consistency or condition; reduce from fluidity or volatility to a more stable state.
-
to convert atmospheric nitrogen into a useful compound, as a nitrate fertilizer.
-
-
Photography. to render (an image) permanent by removing light-sensitive silver halides.
-
Microscopy. to kill, make rigid, and preserve for microscopic study.
verb (used without object)
-
fixes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
fixed,
past participle, past
-
fixt,
past participle, past (Archaic)
-
fixing
present participle
-
to become fixed.
-
to become set; assume a rigid or solid form.
-
to become stable or permanent.
-
to settle down.
-
Slang. to inject oneself with a narcotic.
-
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
-
fixes
plural
-
Informal. a position from which it is difficult to escape; predicament.
-
Informal. a repair, adjustment, or solution, usually of an immediate nature.
Can you think of a fix for the problem?
-
Navigation.
-
a charted position of a vessel or aircraft, determined by two or more bearings taken on landmarks, heavenly bod-ies, etc.
-
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.
-
-
a clear determination.
Can you get a fix on what he really means?
-
Slang.
-
an injection of heroin or other narcotic.
-
the narcotic or amount of narcotic injected.
-
a compulsively sought dose or infusion of something.
to need one's daily fix of soap operas on TV.
-
-
Slang.
-
an underhand or illegal arrangement, especially one secured through bribery or influence.
-
a contest, situation, etc., whose outcome is prearranged dishonestly.
-
verb phrase
-
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.
-
fix up
-
to arrange for.
to fix up a date.
-
to provide with; furnish.
-
to repair; renew.
-
to smooth over; solve.
They weren't able to fix up their differences.
-
idioms
-
fix one's wagon, to exact retribution for an offense; treat someone vengefully.
I'll dock his pay and that will fix his wagon.
-
in a fix, pregnant.
verb
-
(also intr) to make or become firm, stable, or secure
-
to attach or place permanently
fix the mirror to the wall
-
(often foll by up) to settle definitely; decide
let us fix a date
-
to hold or direct (eyes, attention, etc) steadily
he fixed his gaze on the woman
-
to call to attention or rivet
-
to make rigid
to fix one's jaw
-
to place or ascribe
to fix the blame on someone
-
to mend or repair
-
informal to provide with
how are you fixed for supplies?
-
informal to influence (a person, outcome of a contest, etc) unfairly, as by bribery
-
slang to take revenge on; get even with, esp by killing
-
informal to give (someone) his just deserts
that'll fix him
-
informal to arrange or put in order
to fix one's hair
-
informal to prepare
to fix a meal
-
dialect to spay or castrate (an animal)
-
dialect to prepare oneself
I'm fixing to go out
-
photog to treat (a film, plate, or paper) with fixer to make permanent the image rendered visible by developer
-
cytology to kill, preserve, and harden (tissue, cells, etc) for subsequent microscopic study
-
-
to convert (atmospheric nitrogen) into nitrogen compounds, as in the manufacture of fertilizers or the action of bacteria in the soil
-
to convert (carbon dioxide) into organic compounds, esp carbohydrates, as occurs in photosynthesis in plants and some microorganisms
-
-
to reduce (a substance) to a solid or condensed state or a less volatile state
-
slang (intr) to inject a drug
noun
-
informal a predicament; dilemma
-
the ascertaining of the navigational position, as of a ship, by radar, observation, etc
-
slang an intravenous injection of a drug, esp heroin
-
informal an act or instance of bribery
-
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.
-
See more at carbon fixation nitrogen fixation
-
To convert a substance, especially a gas, into solid or liquid form by chemical reactions.
-
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
-
fixsimple
-
fixessimple
-
have fixedperfect
-
have fixtperfect
-
has fixedperfect
-
has fixtperfect
-
am fixingprogressive
-
are fixingprogressive
-
is fixingprogressive
-
have been fixingperfect progressive
-
has been fixingperfect progressive
Past
-
fixedsimple
-
fixtsimple
-
had fixedperfect
-
had fixtperfect
-
was fixingprogressive
-
were fixingprogressive
-
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?"
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Unit 3, Small-Group Learning
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Selection Vocabulary 4, Unit 4
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
Historically, a worm would exploit a fixed set of vulnerabilities, and that meant you could fix these vulnerabilities and prevent the worm from propagating any further to devices that had been updated.
From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2026
But to fix the housing-affordability crisis, “all levels of government need to be involved, as well as the private sector and philanthropy,” Shea said.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026
Shots of cortisone can help treat active acne spots in a pinch, but they aren’t a long-term fix, Fine said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
Work was ongoing to fix a fault with the 25,000-volt wires which power trains near Penkridge, causing disruption between Stafford and Wolverhampton.
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026
“Nah, I have to fix the Meagers’ loo.
From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
President George W. Bush later that month vowed to pursue fixes like fortifying cockpit doors and “technology to enable controllers to take over distressed aircraft and land it by remote control.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
They said weeks of messages to Polymarket customer support went unanswered, though a Polymarket employee wrote on Discord in July that the engineering team was working on fixes to user issues.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026
County officials were previously warned about flaws — yet few fixes have been made.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 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
Leon looked up, smiling at Santucci, blinking away the flush on his cheeks, a smile like the kind an undertaker fixes on the face of a corpse.
From "The Chocolate War" by Robert Cormier
The 10-year yield at 5.23% on Tuesday remains a “country mile” away from 6%, said George Catrambone, head of fixed income, Americas, at DWS.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026
Singapore-based Antares Ventures said Tuesday that it secured the commitments under the second close of its inaugural closed-end fund, a pooled investment vehicle that deploys capital within a fixed time frame.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
Goldman saw muted activity in some parts of its markets business, such as fixed income, currency and commodities, where revenues were "essentially unchanged," the firm said in a press release.
From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2026
Initially, the researchers had planned to introduce the magnetic flux as a fixed background condition.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 13, 2026
“Doda Hila?” he shouted, trying to crane his neck over the wall of shadow and figures surrounding him, faces fixed on the flame.
From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny
And which of the Officers was it as first fixt my gaze, and held it firmly?
From Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 146, March 4th 1914 by Various
Dr. Donne:— If we be two, we two are so As stiff twin-compasses are two; Thy Soul, the fixt foot, makes no show To move, but does if the other do.
From The Sufistic Quatrains of Omar Khayyam by Omar Khayyam
His mallice is fixt, and will not evaporate by any your mild courses.
From Great Ralegh by Hugh de Selincourt
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
The Pronator Inferior Quadratus, springing forth from the bottom and inside of the Cubitus, is fixt in the lower and outward part of the Radius by a Tail as large as its Head.
From The Compleat Surgeon or, the whole Art of Surgery explain'd in a most familiar Method. by Charles Gabriel Le Clerc
“We’re not paying for people to do things that I can do myself, and that includes pounding rebar and fixing signs,” she said in a televised interview with ABC 15 Arizona.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
He bought the vehicle on the cheap with the intention of fixing it up himself.
From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026
Surgery can repair the torn ligament, but fixing the immediate injury does not necessarily prevent long-term joint damage.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 6, 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
“Dad’s almost finished fixing up the spare room. And you know what that means!”
From "Trouble at the Arcade (The Hardy Boys: Secret Files, #1)" by Franklin W. Dixon
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.
