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.

Nearby words

Origin of makeshift

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

SYNONYMS FOR makeshift

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

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR makeshift ON THESAURUS.COM

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for 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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST

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|DAILY BEAST
It filled me with bitterness to think that such a makeshift spectacle could amuse anyone.
A Son of the Middle Border|Hamlin Garland
Rand bent over his makeshift map again, marking in the names of the cities where he intended to refuel while in flight.
Helen in the Editor's Chair|Ruthe S. Wheeler
A member of the ——th battalion was fast asleep in his makeshift of a dug-out the night the Germans entered our lines.
Over the Top With the Third Australian Division|G. P. Cuttriss
He painted with such ease that he set small store on the talent: it was only a makeshift for advancement.
Little Journeys to the Homes of the Great, Volume 4 (of 14)|Elbert Hubbard
He squatted down and dug at the ground with the makeshift arrow point.
The World That Couldn't Be|Clifford Donald Simak

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

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).

makeshift

noun

adjective

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Nearby words

Origin of makeshift

Examples from the Web for makeshift

makeshift

adjective

noun

makeshift