Meaning & use
makeshift
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Meanings
adjectivebefore a noun
Made quickly from whatever is available, to be used for a short time instead of the proper thing.
Grammar: Comes before a noun: a makeshift bed.
Patterns
- a makeshift something
The campers built a makeshift shelter from branches.
We used a box as a makeshift table.
The hospital set up a makeshift clinic in the school gym.
nouncountablerareold-fashioned
A temporary solution used when nothing better is available.
Grammar: Rare as a noun: a makeshift for a tool.
Patterns
- a makeshift for something
The rope was a poor makeshift for a proper strap.
Tape served as a makeshift until the part arrived.
Word forms
| plural | makeshifts |
|---|
Common combinations
- makeshift shelter
- They sat in a makeshift shelter during the rain.
- makeshift bed
- A pile of coats served as a makeshift bed.
- makeshift repair
- He made a makeshift repair with duct tape.
- makeshift camp
- Refugees lived in a makeshift camp near the border.
- makeshift weapon
- The guard used a chair leg as a makeshift weapon.
Synonyms and how they differ
- improvised
- Improvised describes anything created on the spot, including music and speeches, whereas makeshift is mostly about physical things.
- temporary
- Temporary only says it will not last, without suggesting it was thrown together.
- rough-and-ready
- Rough-and-ready suggests something crude but good enough, with a friendly tone.
- stopgap
- Stopgap names a measure that fills a gap until a real solution comes, and can be a noun or adjective.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: makeshift or makeshift vs. shift?
makeshift vs makeshift vs. shift
Makeshift is a single word built from make and shift, and you should not write it as two separate words.
Practice
Which item is a makeshift table?
Choose one answer.
An upturned crate is an improvised substitute; the other tables are proper pieces of furniture.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “makeshift”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.