jury-rigged

British  

adjective

1. nautical set up in a makeshift manner, usually as a result of the loss of regular gear

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Explanation

Something that's jury-rigged is makeshift or thrown together from available parts. Kids love jury-rigged forts, made of blankets and chairs, even though they're not fancy. After a fender bender, you might keep your bumper from dragging on the ground with a jury-rigged solution involving duct tape and a bungee cord. Your brother's jury-rigged skateboard ramp might be less successful. Jury-rigged was originally a nautical term — a jury-rig was a backup mast that sailors would bring on long voyages in case the original mast was damaged. Using the word jury to mean "temporary" or "makeshift" might be rooted in the Latin adjutare, "to aid or help."

Example Sentences

I jury-rigged a heating element for our Kenmore refrigerator’s balky ice-maker water-feed tube.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 2, 2026

With their de-watering wells, remote grids and jury-rigged modifications, residents in “The Bend” sometimes feel more like backcountry homesteaders.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 24, 2025

The entire film feels jury-rigged as if every action sequence — and there are too few of them — is designed by an algorithm rather than a human.

From Salon • Jul. 12, 2023

These are not the jury-rigged e-bikes that deliver Chinese food in Manhattan.

From Slate • Mar. 30, 2023

A jury-rigged burner and pot also looked inspired by, if not commandeered from, inmate facilities.

From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover