makeshift

[meyk-shift]

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noun

a temporary expedient or substitute: We used boxes as a makeshift while the kitchen chairs were being painted.

adjective

Also make·shift·y. serving as, or of the nature of, a makeshift.

Origin of makeshift

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

Synonyms for makeshift

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1. make-do, contrivance, jury-rig. 2. emergency, temporary, improvised, jury, ersatz.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for makeshift

stopgap, expedient, alternative, substitute, temp, make-do, throwaway, recourse, expediency, shift, resort, resource, refuge, replacement, hit-or-miss, provisional, quick-and-dirty, slapdash, Band-Aid

Examples from the Web for makeshift

Contemporary Examples of makeshift

The party was full and I found a sofa near a makeshift bar in the corner.
I Was Gang Raped at a UVA Frat 30 Years Ago, and No One Did Anything
Liz Seccuro
December 16, 2014
She walked for two days before settling into a makeshift camp.
‘Argo’ in the Congo: The Ghosts of the Stanleyville Hostage Crisis
Nina Strochlic
November 23, 2014
Earlier this week she pleaded with ISIS to uphold the verdict of a makeshift Sharia court, which ruled that he was not a spy.
ISIS Beheads British Aid Worker Alan Henning
Nico Hines
October 3, 2014
To rally the crowd, Bennett sang on a makeshift stage constructed out of dozens of empty coffins.
Tony Bennett’s Nazi Hunting Past Is Just One Reason He’s the Greatest Living American
Asawin Suebsaeng
September 25, 2014
A boiling brew is scooped into makeshift bowls—hollowed out coconut halves.
Bye Bye Latté, Hello Guayusa: Why The Amazon Holds the Secret to a Cleaner, Healthier Caffeine
Brandon Presser
August 29, 2014

Historical Examples of makeshift

"A makeshift budget" was introduced by Mr. Disraeli and passed.
The Grand Old Man
Richard B. Cook
It was a makeshift barometer, the advertising gift of a yeast company.
Blow The Man Down
Holman Day
It was a slovenly word, a makeshift for the hard broom of clean thought.
The Rough Road
William John Locke
And Merrie England swarms with makeshift folk and breakdowns.
A Poor Man's House
Stephen Sydney Reynolds
Those visits, between 1889 and 1905 were only occasional, a makeshift.
Lines in Pleasant Places
William Senior

British Dictionary definitions for makeshift

makeshift

adjective

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

noun

something serving in this capacity

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for makeshift

also make-shift, 1560s, as a noun, "shifty person, rogue," from make (v.) + shift (v.). Adjectival sense of "substitute" is first recorded 1680s. Cf. make-sport "a laughing stock" (1610s).