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- Dictionaryfix/fɪks/
verb
- 1. fasten (something) securely in a particular place or position: "they had candles fixed to their helmets" Similar fastenattachaffixsecuremake fastjoinconnectcouplelinkinstallimplantplantembedanchorstickgluebondcementpinnailscrewboltclampclipbindtielashestablishpositionstationsituatesticklodgeimplantembedanchorOpposite remove
- ▪ direct one's eyes, mind, or attention steadily or unwaveringly towards: "Ben nodded, his eyes fixed on the ground"
- ▪ (of a person's eyes, attention, or mind) be directed steadily or unwaveringly towards: "her gaze fixed on Jess" Similar attractdrawholdgripengagecaptivateabsorbrivetOpposite lose
- ▪ look at someone unwaveringly: "Cowley fixed him with a cold stare"
- 2. decide or settle on (a specific price, date, course of action, etc.): "no date has yet been fixed for a hearing" Similar decide onselectchooseresolve ondeterminearrive atsettlesetfinalizearrangeprearrangeestablishallotprescribedesignatedefinenameordainappointspecifystipulate
- ▪ arrange (something) on a permanent basis: "the rate of interest is fixed for the life of the loan"
- ▪ establish the exact location of (something) by using radar or visual bearings or astronomical observation: "having made landfall, he fixed his position"
- ▪ settle the form of (a language).
- ▪ assign or determine (a person's liability or responsibility) for legal purposes: "there are no facts which fix the defendant with liability"
- 3. mend or repair: "you've forgotten to fix that shelf" Similar repairmendpatch upput rightput to rightsset rightget workingmake as good as newsee torestorerestore to working orderremedyrectifyput back togetheroverhaulservicerenovatereconditionrehabilitaterebuildreconstructrefitadjustfettleOpposite breakdamage
- ▪ put (a bad or unwelcome situation) right: "the international community should not rely on the UN to fix the world's problems"
- ▪ do the necessary work to improve or adapt something: "we were trying to fix up the house so that it became vaguely comfortable"
- ▪ tidy or neaten (something, especially one's hair, clothes, or make-up): informal North American "Laura was fixing her hair" Similar neatenarrangeput in orderadjuststylegroomcombbrushpreenprimpdressinformal:do
- 4. make arrangements for (something); organize: "Harry's fixed up a meeting" Similar arrangeorganizecontrivesort outsee tosee aboutmanageengineerorchestratefind a wayinformal:swingwanglepull strings
- ▪ arrange for someone to have something; provide someone with something: informal "I'll fix you up with a room"
- ▪ prepare or arrange for the provision of (food or drink): informal North American "Ruth fixed herself a cold drink" Similar preparecookmakemake readyput togethergetinformal:rustle upknock up
- ▪ be intending or planning to do something: dialect US "I'm fixing to call the state patrol"
- 5. make (a dye, photographic image, or drawing) permanent: "he perfected a process of fixing a photographic likeness on a silver plate" Similar make permanentmake fastset
- ▪ preserve or stabilize (a specimen) with a chemical substance prior to microscopy or other examination: "specimens were fixed in buffered formalin"
- ▪ (of a plant or microorganism) assimilate (nitrogen or carbon dioxide) by forming a non-gaseous compound: "lupins fix gaseous nitrogen in their root nodules"
- 6. influence the outcome of (something, especially a race, match, or election) by illegal or underhand means: informal "the club attempted to fix last Thursday's league match" Similar rigarrange fraudulentlyprearrange/predetermine the result oftamper withmanipulatemanoeuvretwistinfluenceinformal:set upfiddle
- ▪ take revenge on or punish (someone): "that little swine–I'll fix him next time" Similar revenge oneself onget one's revenge onbe revenged onavenge oneself onwreak vengeance ontake retribution onget even withgive someone their just desertshit back atget back atsettle the/a score withsettle accounts withtake reprisals againstpunishdeal withinformal:get one's own back onpay someone back/outgive someone their comeuppancesort someone outsettle someone's hashcook someone's goose
- 7. take an injection of a narcotic drug. informal Similar inject drugstake drugsinformal:shoot upmainlineget one's fix
- 8. castrate or spay (an animal); neuter. North American Similar castrateneutergeldcutemasculatespaydesexsterilizealterinformal:doctorrare:eviratecaponizeeunuchize
noun
- 1. a difficult or awkward situation from which it is hard to extricate oneself; a predicament: informal "how on earth did you get into such a fix?" Similar predicamentplightdifficultydifficult situationawkward situationspot of troublebit of bothercornerticklish/tricky situationtight spotmuddlemessmare's nestquandarydilemmadire straitsinformal:picklejamholespotscrapebindpinchsticky situationhot waterthe soup
- 2. a dose of a narcotic drug to which one is addicted: informal "he hadn't had his fix" Similar doseinformal:hitrush
- ▪ an experience of something from which one derives great pleasure or stimulation: "get your coffee fix at home with this state-of-the-art espresso-maker"
- 3. a measure taken to resolve a problem or correct a mistake; a solution or remedy: "making everything easier for the car driver would only be a short-term fix" Similar solutionanswerresolutionway outremedyantidotecurenostrumpanaceainformal:magic bullet
- 4. a position determined by visual or radio bearings or astronomical observations: "the radio operator received the distress call and calculated the fix"
- 5. a dishonest or underhand arrangement: informal "obviously, his appointment was a fix" Similar fraudswindlepretencehoaxtrickcharadeshaminformal:set-upscamcon trickstingfiddle
Word Origin late Middle English: partly from Old French fix ‘fixed’, partly from medieval Latin fixare ‘to fix’, both from Latin fixus, past participle of figere ‘fix, fasten’. The noun dates from the early 19th century.
Derivatives
- 1. fixable adjective
Scrabble Points: 13
F
4I
1X
8
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