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Synonyms

adjust

American

[uh-juhst] / əˈdʒʌst /

verb (used with object)

to change (something) so that it fits, corresponds, or conforms; adapt; accommodate.

to adjust expenses to income.
to put in good working order; regulate; bring to a proper state or position.

to adjust an instrument.

Synonyms:

fix, repair, set
to settle or bring to a satisfactory state, so that parties are agreed in the result.

to adjust our differences.

Synonyms:

reconcile, rectify, arrange
Insurance. to determine the amount to be paid in settlement of (a claim).
to systematize.
Military. to correct the elevation or deflection of (a gun).

verb (used without object)

to adapt oneself; become adapted.

They had no problems in adjusting at the new school.

adjust British

/ əˈdʒʌst /

verb

(tr) to alter slightly, esp to achieve accuracy; regulate

to adjust the television
to adapt, as to a new environment, etc
(tr) to put into order
(tr) insurance to determine the amount payable in settlement of (a claim)

"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

Usage

What does adjust mean? To adjust is to change something so that it fits or adapts to something else or to its environment, as in Macky adjusted the menu so that it included more healthy dishes. To adjust is also to fix or put into a correct position or state, as in Adjust the radio dial, please, so that the station comes in clearly. To adjust also means to put into a satisfactory state, as in Laird adjusted the pitch of his voice to blend in better with the rest of the choir. Adjust can also be used as a synonym for adapt and can be used in reference to people, animals, or objects. For example, if you move to a new city, you may need time to adjust to your new home, learning what’s available and where everything is. Example: Adjust the speakers so that they are facing the audience.

Synonym Usage

Adjust, adapt, alter in their literal meanings imply making necessary or desirable changes (as in position, shape, or the like). To adjust is to move into proper position for use: to adjust the eyepiece of a telescope. To adapt is to make a change in character, to make something useful in a new way: to adapt a paper clip for a hairpin. To alter is to change the appearance but not the use: to alter the height of a table.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of adjust

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English ajusten, from Anglo-French ajuster, Old French aj(o)uster “to make conform to,” verb derivative (with a- a- ⁵ ) of juste “right” ( see just ¹), influenced in sense by ajoster, ajouter “to add,” from Late Latin adjuxtāre ( see ad-, joust)

Explanation

When you adjust to something, you change so that you can fit in, conform, or keep on going. Arriving at a new school almost always requires that you adjust a little. Once you adjust, you'll find you're as happy as you were in your old school. To adjust doesn't mean to transform in a major way. It implies small but important changes that make a big difference. If you adjust your speed by just ten miles per hour, you'll get more than fifty more miles per fill-up. You can adjust your hair to make it fancier, you can adjust your lifestyle to make it more sober, or you can adjust your attitude to make yourself less annoying. You used to have to adjust your TV antenna to get a better picture. Ask your mom.

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

adjust adjusts adjusted adjusting

I prefer mine on the less-sweet side, but both the honey and pepper are easy to adjust depending on your fruit and your taste.

From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026

Businesses will be able to receive up to AUS$25,000 in support to help them adjust to the reforms, with help also offered to gun-dealers.

From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026

The faster global warming occurs, the less time the Atlantic Ocean has to adjust, potentially increasing the vulnerability of one of the planet's most important circulation systems.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 14, 2026

People who previously traveled and returned to the U.S. won’t be affected and could still adjust their immigration status.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026

Ms. Zelda bent over low to adjust Nancy's hemline.

From "The Cinderella Ballet Mystery: Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew, #4" by Carolyn Keene

Mr. Johnson adjusts the denominator by removing the third-trimester women.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026

ARMs have a fixed, typically lower mortgage rate for the first three, five or seven years, after which the rate adjusts regularly.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026

As the surrounding environment adjusts, these impurities still undergo slight movements.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 9, 2026

The company builds an AI-powered "personal sweat index" for users that adjusts the expected results based on factors like their demographic background and the ambient temperature.

From Barron's ● Jun. 18, 2026

“C’mon, Sixteen,” I say as Theo adjusts his batting gloves.

From "A High Five for Glenn Burke" by Phil Bildner

Traders had anticipated a 0.1% decline in June manufacturing shipments, which reached a seasonally adjusted 78.82 billion Canadian dollars.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

Congress rewrote the charitable-deduction rules, effective Jan. 1, 2026, with the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, and every change pushed value away from the deduction and toward your adjusted gross income.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026

Sandisk expects adjusted gross margins to remain at around 80% through 2030 as demand for memory continues to outstrip supply.

From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026

The eurozone swung to an adjusted trade surplus of 1.8 billion euros in June from a deficit of 6.1 billion euros in May.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

After a while, Cat adjusted to his speed and they reached a steady pace.

From "Caterpillar Summer" by Gillian McDunn

Study author Associate Professor Alexander Larcombe said the results indicate that the body may already be adjusting to changes in the composition of the atmosphere.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 15, 2026

It said insured wildfire losses had risen by 8-11 percent per year in Europe since 1970 after adjusting for inflation and other factors.

From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026

New jobless claims in the last three weeks totaled 199,000, 198,000 and 189,000 after adjusting for seasonal swings in employment.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 6, 2026

After adjusting for closed acquisitions and dispositions, production fell by 98,000 barrels or 4%.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026

Even the roof pulled itself up, like someone adjusting his suspenders.

From "Aru Shah and the End of Time" by Roshani Chokshi

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023