makeshift

American  

[meyk-shift] / ˈmeɪkˌʃɪft /

noun

1. a temporary expedient or substitute.

   We used boxes as a makeshift while the kitchen chairs were being painted.

   Synonyms:

   jury-rig, contrivance, make-do

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adjective

1. Also makeshifty. serving as, or of the nature of, a makeshift.

   Synonyms:

   ersatz, jury, improvised, temporary, emergency

makeshift British  

/ ˈmeɪkˌʃɪft /

adjective

1. serving as a temporary or expedient means, esp during an emergency

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noun

1. something serving in this capacity

Etymology

Origin of makeshift

First recorded in 1555–65; noun, adj. use of verb phrase make shift

Explanation

If you have to use a garbage can lid as a sled or a set of drapes as a ball gown, then you know what it means to put together a makeshift creation. Something makeshift has been improvised, thrown together with whatever is around. What's interesting about makeshift is the way it can vary in meaning from approval to criticism. Those people trapped on the island in Lost? They came up with some pretty cool makeshift tents and survival ideas. But a government described as makeshift, for example, probably has little going for it.

Example Sentences

Elsewhere, police dismantled a makeshift barrier erected by protesters blockading western Galway docks.

From Barron's • Apr. 12, 2026

When Dark & Wild was recorded in a makeshift studio in LA, BTS was an up-and-coming band, shooting a documentary about their life of hustle.

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026

On Aug. 15, 2021, Pearlene collapsed and died in the makeshift bathroom of a trailer in Los Angeles County that had no running water or electricity, according to prosecutors.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2026

When two MC-130Js, a special-operations aircraft, landed in a makeshift forward-operating base inside Iran they ran into problems when their nose wheels sank into the ground and couldn’t take off, officials said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026

As we rolled out of our makeshift bed and looked around the sunlit room, we found our clothes washed, neatly pressed, and laid out for us.

From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall