# fix

/ˈfɪks/ (US) · /fˈɪks/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/fix
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. to repair

verb · CEFR A2

to repair something that is broken or not working correctly.

For teachers: to restore something to a functional or correct state.

- I need to find someone who can fix the leaking pipe in the bathroom.
- The technician spent several hours trying to fix the server error before realizing the hardware was completely obsolete.

### 2. to decide or set

verb · CEFR B1

to agree on a specific time, date, or price.

For teachers: to establish or agree upon a specific value, time, or location.

- We should fix a date for our next meeting before everyone leaves.
- The two companies agreed to fix the price of the contract to avoid future fluctuations in the market.

### 3. to prepare food

verb · CEFR B1 · Informal · American English

to prepare a meal or a drink for someone.

For teachers: to prepare or provide food or refreshment. Often used ditransitively.

- Let me fix you a quick sandwich while you wait for the taxi.
- She offered to fix a drink for the guests while the host finished preparing the main course in the kitchen.

### 4. to cheat

verb · CEFR B2

to change the result of a game or election dishonestly.

For teachers: to arrange the outcome of a contest or process dishonestly in advance.

- The fans were angry because they believed the boxing match was fixed.
- Evidence emerged suggesting that several officials had conspired to fix the election results in favor of the incumbent candidate.

### 5. to make permanent

verb · CEFR C1 · Technical

to make something stable or permanent, like a chemical or a photograph.

For teachers: to convert into a stable or permanent form; in biology, to convert atmospheric nitrogen into organic compounds.

- Plants fix nitrogen from the air into the soil to help them grow.
- The photographer used a chemical bath to fix the image on the paper so it would not fade in the light.

### 6. a difficult situation

noun · CEFR B2 · Informal

a difficult or embarrassing situation that is hard to get out of.

For teachers: a predicament or a difficult situation requiring a solution.

- I forgot my passport at home, so I am in a bit of a fix.
- The sudden cancellation of the funding left the research team in a terrible fix just weeks before the project was due to start.

### 7. a quick solution

noun · CEFR B2

a quick or temporary solution to a problem.

For teachers: a solution or repair, often one that is implemented quickly or as a temporary measure.

- This software update is just a quick fix for the security problem.
- The government was criticized for offering a short-term fix rather than addressing the underlying causes of the economic crisis.

### 8. a dose of a drug

noun · CEFR C1 · Slang · Informal

an amount of a drug that someone takes, or something you need very much.

For teachers: a single dose of a narcotic drug; figuratively, a necessary or habitual experience of something.

- He needs his morning fix of caffeine before he can start working.
- The addict was desperate for a fix, showing the physical symptoms of withdrawal as the hours passed.

### 9. a position

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

a measurement of where you are, used in ships or planes.

For teachers: a determination of a position, typically through navigational or astronomical observations.

- The pilot took a fix on the stars to check the plane's position.
- Without a reliable GPS signal, the captain had to rely on a radio fix to navigate the ship through the fog.

## Examples

- The mechanic found a quick fix for the engine problem.
- I really need my morning caffeine fix before I can start answering emails.
- While the new software patch provides a temporary fix for the security vulnerability, the developers are still working on a permanent overhaul of the system's architecture.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.