jury-rigged

British  

adjective

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

---

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

See Examples For:

jury-rigged

A look in the vehicle’s trunk revealed how the automaker jury-rigged a run-of-the-mill sport-utility vehicle to run with Wayve’s technology.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026

Yet now, without any justification, the supermajority has imported Callais’ jury-rigged standards into the constitutional rules against racial gerrymandering.

From Slate ● Jun. 3, 2026

He’s jury-rigged a burglar alarm with foam so it makes a clattering sound loud enough for the neighbor’s Ring camera to pick up, he said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 26, 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

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

From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover