makeshift

[ meyk-shift ]
See synonyms for makeshift on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a temporary expedient or substitute: We used boxes as a makeshift while the kitchen chairs were being painted.

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

Origin of makeshift

1
First recorded in 1555–65; noun, adj. use of verb phrase make shift

Other words for makeshift

Words Nearby makeshift

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use makeshift in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for makeshift

makeshift

/ (ˈmeɪkˌʃɪft) /


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

noun
  1. 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