Word
makeshift
US/ˈmeɪkˌʃɪft/
UK/mˈeɪkʃɪft/
Definition
adj. made quickly using whatever materials you have around you because you do not have the right tools or equipment. It is usually a temporary solution to a problem.
adj. serving as a temporary substitute for something else; improvised from available resources. Often describes physical structures or tools created in an emergency or under resource constraints.
Examples
“They used a piece of wood as a makeshift table.”
“After the storm destroyed the bridge, the villagers built a makeshift crossing using fallen trees and thick rope.”
“The refugees established a makeshift clinic in the abandoned warehouse, utilizing crates as examination tables and battery-powered lanterns for lighting during night shifts.”
Examples
simple
“They used a piece of wood as a makeshift table.”
contextual
“After the storm destroyed the bridge, the villagers built a makeshift crossing using fallen trees and thick rope.”
complex
“The refugees established a makeshift clinic in the abandoned warehouse, utilizing crates as examination tables and battery-powered lanterns for lighting during night shifts.”
Usage
Typically used attributively before the noun it modifies.
Real-World Examples
“Some held up colanders, others a spatula with holes, still others makeshift pinhole cameras made of old candy boxes.” “Outside Whitechapel tube station, there was a makeshift stall selling the glasses for £10 a pop.” Etymology
Deverbal from make shift. First appears c. 1554, in the publications of H. Hilarie.
1560s. From make + shift.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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englishreference.com/q/makeshift