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makeshift

[ meyk-shift ]

/ ˈmeɪkˌʃɪft /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR makeshift ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a temporary expedient or substitute: We used boxes as a makeshift while the kitchen chairs were being painted.

adjective

Also make·shift·y. serving as, or of the nature of, a makeshift.

Origin of makeshift

First recorded in 1555–65; noun, adj. use of verb phrase make shift

SYNONYMS FOR makeshift

1 make-do, contrivance, jury-rig.

2 emergency, temporary, improvised, jury, ersatz.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR makeshift ON THESAURUS.COM

Words nearby makeshift

makemie, makeover, maker, maker's mark, makerspace, makeshift, makeup, makeweight, makeyevka, makhachkala, makhlouf

Example sentences from the Web for makeshift

The party was full and I found a sofa near a makeshift bar in the corner.

I Was Gang Raped at a UVA Frat 30 Years Ago, and No One Did Anything |Liz Seccuro |December 16, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
She walked for two days before settling into a makeshift camp.

‘Argo’ in the Congo: The Ghosts of the Stanleyville Hostage Crisis |Nina Strochlic |November 23, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Earlier this week she pleaded with ISIS to uphold the verdict of a makeshift Sharia court, which ruled that he was not a spy.

ISIS Beheads British Aid Worker Alan Henning |Nico Hines |October 3, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
To rally the crowd, Bennett sang on a makeshift stage constructed out of dozens of empty coffins.

Tony Bennett’s Nazi Hunting Past Is Just One Reason He’s the Greatest Living American |Asawin Suebsaeng |September 25, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

A boiling brew is scooped into makeshift bowls—hollowed out coconut halves.

Bye Bye Latté, Hello Guayusa: Why The Amazon Holds the Secret to a Cleaner, Healthier Caffeine |Brandon Presser |August 29, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
It filled me with bitterness to think that such a makeshift spectacle could amuse anyone.

A Son of the Middle Border |Hamlin Garland
Rand bent over his makeshift map again, marking in the names of the cities where he intended to refuel while in flight.

Helen in the Editor's Chair |Ruthe S. Wheeler
A member of the ——th battalion was fast asleep in his makeshift of a dug-out the night the Germans entered our lines.

Over the Top With the Third Australian Division |G. P. Cuttriss
He painted with such ease that he set small store on the talent: it was only a makeshift for advancement.

Little Journeys to the Homes of the Great, Volume 4 (of 14) |Elbert Hubbard
He squatted down and dug at the ground with the makeshift arrow point.

The World That Couldn't Be |Clifford Donald Simak

British Dictionary definitions for makeshift

makeshift

/ (ˈmeɪkˌʃɪft) /

adjective

serving as a temporary or expedient means, esp during an emergency

noun

something serving in this capacity