fix
Americanverb (used with object)
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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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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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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 fix is not complicated, and Bajakajian already points to it.
From Slate ● Jul. 28, 2026
What most Americans own is the belief that falling rates fix everything, purchased in two wrappers.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
He said the government was delivering the "major shake-up" required to fix the youth unemployment crisis in Britain, starting with improving the availability and quality of technical education.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
“It’s just part of a long period in which the relationship has gotten worse, and we just don’t seem to be able to fix it.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
“We can fix that,” said Laurence, and he looped the fabric into a knot behind Bat’s neck to shorten the sling.
From "A Boy Called Bat" by Elana K. Arnold
A Daera spokesperson said that while there are "no quick fixes", restoring and protecting the ecological health of water bodies "is possible by respecting the science and supporting the difficult decisions needed".
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026
Both the House and Senate have produced bills that differ on how to implement safety fixes after the crash.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026
But in a world where global warming fixes can seem impossibly daunting, limiting methane pollution from stripper wells is the rare low-hanging fruit, Andrew Logan of Ceres, a climate advocacy group, told me.
From Salon ● Jun. 24, 2026
The reality is sovereign creditworthiness isn’t something that can be solved with quick fixes.
From Barron's ● Jun. 23, 2026
He fixes his eyes upon me, his face implacable.
From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen
He was remanded into custody and the case adjourned for sentencing on a date yet to be fixed.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
Like many of America’s regional dishes, the Garden State sandwich feels stubbornly fixed in tradition.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
Yet schools have many fixed costs, such as maintaining, repairing, heating and cooling school buildings, operating cafeterias and managing many administrative functions that cannot easily be scaled down when enrollment declines inevitably reduce funding.
From Salon ● Jul. 28, 2026
Vrticka says one of the biggest misconceptions is that attachment styles are fixed.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
“There,” she said when they had Sue’s shirt fixed.
From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz
Therefore once dead in vain shall I transmit My shadow to gazing Posteritie; Cast farre behind me I shall never see’t, On Heavens fair Sunne having fast fixt mine eye.
From Democritus Platonissans by More, Henry
This is the fixt Nature of Pleasure and Pain, and will always be found to be so by those who examine it.
From Benjamin Franklin Representative selections, with introduction, bibliograpy, and notes by Jorgenson, Chester E.
How were his eyes with pleasing wonder fixt, To see such fire with so much sweetness mixt!
From Henry Esmond; The English Humourists; The Four Georges by Saintsbury, George
On Umá's rounded arm the woollen band Was fixt securely by the nurse's hand.
From The Birth of the War-God A Poem by Kalidasa by Kalidasa
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 Jorgenson, Chester E.
Both Affinity and Thames Water have said they are continuing to invest in finding and fixing leaks.
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026
I have watched videos of people doing cold plunges, giving themselves ear massages and contorting themselves into impossible stretches all in the name of fixing dysregulation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026
Bonta also has an ongoing case against Amazon for price fixing, which the company denies.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
You could patch up the car, which could make it an unreliable jalopy that breaks down — leading to you having to pour more money into fixing it.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026
What did that have to do with fixing motors, anyway?
From "A Wish in the Dark" by Christina Soontornvat
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.
