makeshift

[ meyk-shift ]
/ ˈmeɪkˌʃɪft /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR makeshift ON THESAURUS.COM

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.

QUIZZES

DO YOU KNOW THIS VOCABULARY FROM "THE HANDMAID'S TALE"?

"The Handmaid's Tale" was required reading for many of us in school. Everyone else has probably watched the very popular and addictive TV show. Do you remember this vocabulary from the book, and do you know what these terms mean?
Question 1 of 10
decorum
the act of or need for making up one's mind.
dignified propriety of behavior, speech, dress, etc.
a company of singers, especially an organized group employed in church service.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of makeshift

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

Words nearby makeshift

makemie, makeover, maker, maker's mark, makerspace, makeshift, makeup, makeweight, makeyevka, makhachkala, makhlouf
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to 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

Example sentences from the Web for makeshift

British Dictionary definitions for makeshift

makeshift
/ (ˈmeɪkˌʃɪft) /

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