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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

Parachute payments are paid to clubs relegated from the Premier League to help them adjust to the financial realities of the second tier - £48m in year one, then £39m in year two,

From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026

Price cuts on for-sale listings are becoming more common as sellers adjust to the drop in home-buying demand.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 28, 2026

This can make it difficult to maintain balance, adjust body position, and steer in the intended direction.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 24, 2026

A Postal Service spokesperson still defended the plan, both for financial reasons and to adjust to the changing marketplace.

From Salon ● Oct. 24, 2026

I rest it on my shoulder and adjust my helmet.

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

It’s guaranteed lifetime income that adjusts every year to keep up with inflation.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 26, 2026

“It can itch as my skin adjusts to the glue or when sweat builds up under it,” he says.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 26, 2026

It suggests that the brain gradually adjusts its priorities to make better use of a lifetime of accumulated experience.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 20, 2026

In the brightly lighted foyer, Valentyna Kyselova adjusts her hair in one of the gilded mirrors, then poses for a selfie with a friend.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026

She hurries over to the radio and adjusts the dial.

From "Orphan Train" by Christina Baker Kline

Analysts polled by FactSet expected adjusted earnings per share of 72 cents for Starbucks’s September quarter on revenue of $9.22 billion, as well as a 6% same-store sales gain.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 29, 2026

Gilead also expects a wider adjusted loss, however, of 85 cents to $1.20 a share.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026

This marked an expansion from the 84.6% adjusted operating margin recorded in the June quarter.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 29, 2026

It previously guided for an adjusted loss between 30 cents and 65 cents a share, and analysts are expecting an adjusted loss of 40 cents a share.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026

The moonlight came through the windows, and my eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness.

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu

Back in Brooklyn, Bernard spent eight years in meetings and negotiations, adjusting building heights and spacing as officials raised concerns about density, and gaining trust with local political leaders.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026

Are you, for example, comfortable withdrawing 4% from your retirement accounts in the first year and adjusting that rate for inflation in subsequent years?

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 28, 2026

Twenty years prior, in 1995, the starting hourly wage was $17.65, not adjusting for inflation.

From Slate ● Oct. 28, 2026

Today, the bears are now adjusting to a totally different world among the trees and grass at Wild Ireland, a sanctuary for rescued animals in County Donegal.

From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2026

They crept into the cave, their eyes adjusting to the darkness, but when they reached the far wall, they realized...

From "Witchlings" by Claribel A. Ortega

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