jury-rig

American  

[joor-ee-rig] / ˈdʒʊər iˌrɪg /

Also jerry-rig

noun

1. Nautical. a temporary rig to replace a permanent rig that has been disabled, lost overboard, etc.

2. any makeshift arrangement of machinery or the like.

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verb (used with object)

jury-rigged, jury-rigging

1. to assemble quickly or from whatever is at hand, especially for temporary use.

   to jury-rig stage lights using automobile headlights.

2. Nautical. to replace (a rudder, mast, etc.) with a jury-rig.

   We jury-rigged a fore-topmast after the storm had snapped ours off.

Etymology

Origin of jury-rig

First recorded in 1840–50; jury ² ( def. ) + rig ( def. )

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

jury-rig jury-rigged jury-rigging

Taylor plays Inez, a young Harlem fast talker who decides to jury-rig a family by any means necessary.

From Washington Post ● Mar. 31, 2023

Then again, Belters jury-rig everything, so I suppose it’s not too surprising they carelessly bound this macro.

From The Verge ● Jan. 13, 2022

It’s a movie that makes you reserve judgment and pay attention minute to minute, just as Fern’s new life forces her to discard what’s superfluous and jury-rig something new.

From Slate ● Dec. 30, 2020

Listen to a season while you jury-rig face masks or sanitize groceries.

From New York Times ● Apr. 16, 2020

He could jury-rig the Archimedes sphere into some sort of flying device, maybe, but only if he had his tool belt—which he didn’t.

From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan

Its jury-rigged construction meant that it needed renovation just five years after it was completed, and regularly since then.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

Some A/Cs, like the one I’m testing, rest on jury-rigged hardware-store brackets; others lean on stacks of wood, or brick, or, in one case, a rock—their owners improvising to keep cool.

From Slate ● Aug. 12, 2023

This is not to be confused with Greater Los Angeles, often called the Southland, five far-flung counties in Southern California jury-rigged into a single cultural unit.

From New York Times ● Mar. 7, 2023

Ultimately the league canceled it altogether, which required jury-rigged adjustments to the playoff structure.

From Salon ● Jan. 11, 2023

This is something I've done a few times before, but never with a jury-rigged mess like this.

From "The Martian" by Andy Weir

Because of a global shortage of large gas turbines, Mr. Musk’s xAI and some companies are jury-rigging gas plants by installing clusters of small turbines and even retrofitting old jet engines.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 26, 2026

Amid those punishing strikes, Ukraine scrambled to stay ahead of mounting damage, with repair crews working around the clock and under fire, desperately jury-rigging old equipment and rationing precious power.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2023

But Ukraine has also scored big successes in the war by employing the weapons and equipment in unexpected ways, and jury-rigging some on the fly, according to military experts.

From New York Times ● Aug. 28, 2022

She had tried jury-rigging a diaper and a baby onesie but it didn’t really work.

From Washington Post ● May 23, 2016

At least that jury-rigging will be NASA's job to work out, not mine.

From "The Martian" by Andy Weir