makeshift

[meyk-shift]

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

adjective

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

   Synonyms: ersatz, jury, improvised, temporary, emergency

makeshift

/ ˈmeɪkˌʃɪft /

adjective

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

noun

1. something serving in this capacity

Word History and Origins

Origin of makeshift¹

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

Example Sentences

He stops outside just short of the door and finishes his cigarette, folding a bandana into a makeshift mask.

Read more on Salon

Civilians say the daily strikes force them to spend most of their time underground, in small makeshift bunkers families have dug into their backyards.

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Ali said Charlton instructed him to come to the flat to help bury Karen's body in a makeshift grave in the back garden, right outside the flat's kitchen window.

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On a sunny July day in Simi Valley, Lamb sat in a camping chair outside of their makeshift home while Lichtenberg mixed cups of water with watermelon-flavored electrolyte powder, her favorite.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Some demonstrators brought a makeshift guillotine that generated “significant media coverage,” police noted.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal