WordGarden.iomakeshift
C2Pronunciation
UK
- /mˈeɪkʃɪft/
US
- /ˈmeɪkˌʃɪft/
Meanings
Adjective
temporary and improvised rather than properly made
Noun
a temporary substitute or improvised solution
Beyond the definition
Imagine your camping tent rips during a storm. You don't have duct tape, but you do have rope and some large leaves. Using them to patch the hole? That's a makeshift repair—something quickly and temporarily made or arranged because nothing better is available. A makeshift solution isn't pretty or perfect; it just works for now. Think of building a fort as a child—blankets draped over chairs can become a makeshift castle.
Sometimes life throws you curveballs, and you need to get creative. That's where "makeshift" comes in. It describes something constructed or arranged quickly from whatever is available, usually because the proper materials aren't on hand. It implies a temporary, improvised solution—not built to last, but sufficient for immediate needs.
You might see makeshift shelters built after a natural disaster—structures cobbled together from debris to provide temporary housing. A makeshift bandage fashioned from a clean cloth can stop bleeding until proper medical attention arrives. Or perhaps you've used a spoon as a makeshift screwdriver when the real one was nowhere to be found.
Makeshift isn't about quality or permanence; it's about resourcefulness and adaptability in the face of limitations. It speaks to human ingenuity—our ability to find solutions, even if they aren't ideal, when we need them most. So next time you see something cleverly rigged together from whatever is at hand, remember that it's a testament to the power of making do—it's makeshift.
Examples
- 1
Sleeping
We slept on a makeshift bed made from two chairs and a blanket.
- 2
Emergency shelter
After the storm, families gathered in a makeshift shelter at the school.
- 3
Temporary workplace
The team set up a makeshift office in the hotel lobby.
- 4
Car repair
A makeshift repair got the car to the nearest town.
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Temporary solution
The plan worked as a makeshift solution, but we needed something more reliable.
See also
Similar
Shades of meaning
- jury-rigged
- stopgap
- rough-and-ready
Contrast
- permanent
- purpose-built
Used with (collocations)
- makeshift shelter
- makeshift camp
- makeshift hospital
- makeshift solution
Explore
Forms and spellings
2 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- makeshiftnounadjective
Forms
- makeshiftspluralnounadjective