From Middle English fixen, borrowed from Old French *fixer (attested only as ficher, fichier; > English fitch), from fix (“fastened; fixed”), from Latin fīxus (“immovable; steady; stable; fixed”), from fīgō (“to drive in; stick; fasten”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰeygʷ- (“to jab; stick; set”). Related to dig.
Meanings
A repair or corrective action.
That plumber's fix is much better than the first one's.
Seeing the British establishment struggle with the financial sector is like watching an alcoholic […]. Until 2008 there was denial over what finance had become. […] But the scandals kept coming, […]. A broad section of the political class now recognises the need for change but remains unable to see the necessity of a fundamental overhaul. Instead it offers fixes and patches. 2013 June 28, Joris Luyendijk, “Our banks are out of control”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 3, page 21:
A difficult situation; a quandary or dilemma; a predicament.
It rained before we repaired the roof, and were we in a fix!
"How come you're in this fix?" 1932, Delos W. Lovelace, King Kong, published 1965, page 13:
(slang) A single dose of a narcotic drug, especially when injected.
And Cash told me of cases where two hips take a fix together and then one pulls out his badge. 1953, William Lee [pseudonym; William S. Burroughs], Junkie, New York: Ace Books:
Maybe I will find in yage what I was looking for in junk and weed and coke. Yage may be the final fix. 1953, William Lee [pseudonym; William S. Burroughs], Junkie, New York: Ace Books:
Just one fix! 1992, William Alain Jourgensen, “Just One Fix”, in Psalm 69, performed by Ministry:
(broadly, figuratively, slang) A single dose of a narcotic drug, especially when injected. ▸ Something that satisfies a yearning or a craving.
(broadly, figuratively, slang) A single dose of a narcotic drug, especially when injected. ▸ A compulsive desire or thrill.
A prearrangement of the outcome of a supposedly competitive process, such as a sporting event, a game, an election, a trial, or a bid.
As the professional thief notes: You can tell by the way the case is handled in court when the fix is in. 1963, Howard Saul Becker, Outsiders: studies in the sociology of deviance, page 160:
An understanding, grasp of something.
Each character comes to us with her own particular fix on reality, shaped by a lifetime of experience and by the urgencies of the moment. 1981 December 1, Susan Saxe, “Survival with Agony and Art”, in Gay Community News, volume 12, number 20, page 9:
A determination of location.
We have a fix on your position.
A non-waypoint terrain feature used to make a determination of location.
de Schuss (a single dose of an addictive drug) · hu javítás (an instance of fixing) · no skudd (a single dose of an addictive drug) · no reparasjon (an instance of fixing) · es tirito (a single dose of an addictive drug) · bg доза (a single dose of an addictive drug) · it riparazione (an instance of fixing) · it situazione (a difficult situation or dilemma) · fi dilemma (a difficult situation or dilemma) · fa تنگنا (a difficult situation or dilemma) · gd duilgheadas (a difficult situation or dilemma) · de Reparatur (an instance of fixing) · fi korjaus (an instance of fixing) · da fix (a single dose of an addictive drug) · bg закрепване (an instance of fixing) · fi fiksaus (an instance of fixing) · fi huumausaineen käyttökerta (a single dose of an addictive drug) · ru ремо́нт (an instance of fixing) · ru до́за (a single dose of an addictive drug) · de Ortung (determination of location) · fa بازسازی (an instance of fixing) · fa تعمیر (an instance of fixing) · pl dylemat (a difficult situation or dilemma) · fr réparation (an instance of fixing) · pl naprawa (an instance of fixing) · no knipe (a difficult situation or dilemma) · it sistemazione (an instance of fixing) · gd staing (a difficult situation or dilemma) · ja 注射 (a single dose of an addictive drug) · no fix (a single dose of an addictive drug) · no dilemma (a difficult situation or dilemma) · pt correção (an instance of fixing) · bg диле́ма (a difficult situation or dilemma) · ru закрепле́ние (an instance of fixing) · fi pulma (a difficult situation or dilemma) · de Dilemma (a difficult situation or dilemma) · ru затрудне́ние (a difficult situation or dilemma) · pt dose (a single dose of an addictive drug) · es tiro (a single dose of an addictive drug) · fr dose (a single dose of an addictive drug) · nl fix (a single dose of an addictive drug) · nl reparatie (an instance of fixing) · ga habal (a difficult situation or dilemma) · es falopa (a single dose of an addictive drug) · it guaio (a difficult situation or dilemma) · sv fix (an instance of fixing) · ru диле́мма (a difficult situation or dilemma) · sv pejl (determination of location) · it dilemma (a difficult situation or dilemma) · pt reparação (an instance of fixing) · it dose (a single dose of an addictive drug) · it soluzione (an instance of fixing)
From Middle English fixen, borrowed from Old French *fixer (attested only as ficher, fichier; > English fitch), from fix (“fastened; fixed”), from Latin fīxus (“immovable; steady; stable; fixed”), from fīgō (“to drive in; stick; fasten”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰeygʷ- (“to jab; stick; set”). Related to dig.
Meanings
(obsolete, transitive) To pierce; now generally replaced by transfix.
(broadly, obsolete, transitive) To pierce; now generally replaced by transfix. ▸ (Of a piercing look) to direct at someone.
He fixed me with a sickly grin, and said, "I told you it wouldn't work!"
She sniffed, too, comprehendingly, and fixed her son with a relentless eye. 1930, Norman Lindsay, Redheap, Sydney, N.S.W.: Ure Smith, →OCLC, page 111:
(transitive) To attach; to affix; to hold in place or at a particular time.
The Constitution fixes the date when Congress must meet.
We've come a long, long way boys! Now it's time for America to show its teeth. Fix bayonets! 2016, DICE, Battlefield 1 (Historical Fiction), Stockholm: Electronic Arts, PC, Xbox One, Playstation 4, scene: American Ballroom Blitz Pre-Battle Speech (Operations), set in 1918 during World War I:
A leech can fix itself to your skin without you feeling it.
A dab of chewing gum will fix your note to the bulletin board.
(figuratively, passive, transitive, usually) To attach; to affix; to hold in place or at a particular time. ▸ To focus or determine (oneself, on a concept); to fixate.
She's fixed on the idea of becoming a doctor.
(transitive) To attach; to affix; to hold in place or at a particular time. ▸ To prevent enemy pawns from advancing by directly opposing the most advanced one with one of one's own pawns so as to threaten to capture any advancing backward pawns.
(transitive) To mend, to repair.
Fix this for me.
You can't fix stupid.
That heater will start a fire if you don't fix it.
(excessive, transitive, with would) To mend, to repair. ▸ To be immensely pleasurable to.
Getting tongued by a hot woman would fix me.
Some pizza rolls would fix me right now.
(ditransitive, informal) To prepare (food or drink).
I fixed us drinks—orange juice with some vodka I'd gotten on sale—and washed a few dishes to get my mind off Jess and the fact of his not texting back. 2013, Iris Smyles, Iris Has Free Time, Berkeley, CA: Counterpoint, →ISBN, page 94:
She fixed dinner for the kids.
She fixed Peter a slice of black bread and jam by cutting the hard crust petalwise around the edge, so the child could tear off convenient pieces. 1945, Marianne Steiff Finton Meisel, Years Before the Flood, page 14:
(transitive) To make (a contest, vote, or gamble) unfair; to privilege one contestant or a particular group of contestants, usually before the contest begins; to arrange immunity for defendants by tampering with the justice system via bribery or extortion.
A majority of voters believed the election was fixed in favor of the incumbent.
(US, informal, transitive) To surgically render an animal, especially a pet, infertile.
Rover stopped digging under the fence after we had the vet fix him.
(transitive) To map (a point or subset) to itself.
The function f#58;#92;mathbb#123;R#125;#92;to#92;mathbb#123;R#125;#59;f(x)#58;#61;4x-3 fixes the point 1#92;in#92;mathbb#123;R#125;, since f(1)#61;4(1)-3#61;1.
(informal, transitive) To take revenge on, to best; to serve justice on an assumed miscreant.
He got caught breaking into lockers, so a couple of guys fixed him after work.
(transitive) To render (a photographic impression) permanent by treating with such applications as will make it insensitive to the action of light.
(transitive) To convert into a stable or available form.
Legumes are valued in crop rotation for their ability to fix nitrogen.
it is well to fix with sodium hyposulphite , and to wash as usual 1878, William de Wiveleslie Abney, A treatise on photography:
(intransitive) To become fixed; to settle or remain permanently; to cease from wandering; to rest.
Accuſing ſome malignant Star,
Not Britain, for that fateful War,
Your kindneſs baniſhes your fear,
Reſolv’d to fix for ever here. 1665, Edmund Waller, Upon Her Maiesties New Buildings at Somerset-House:
A cheerless place! the solitary Bee,
Whose buzzing was the only sound of life,
Flew there on restless wing,
Seeking in vain one blossom, where to fix. 1801, Robert Southey, “(please specify the page)”, in Thalaba the Destroyer, volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: […] [F]or T[homas] N[orton] Longman and O[wen] Rees, […], by Biggs and Cottle, […], →OCLC:
(intransitive) To become firm, so as to resist volatilization; to cease to flow or be fluid; to congeal; to become hard and malleable, as a metallic substance.
quicksilver will fix, so asto endure the hammer 1627 (indicated as 1626), Francis [Bacon], “(please specify the page, or |century=I to X)”, in Sylua Syluarum: Or A Naturall Historie. In Ten Centuries. […], London: […] William Rawley […]; [p]rinted by J[ohn] H[aviland] for William Lee […], →OCLC:
(intransitive, slang) To shoot up; to inject a drug.
She doesn't have to worry about stool pigeons because every law in the Federal District knows that Lupita sells junk. She keeps outfits in glasses of alcohol so the junkies can fix in the joint and walk out clean. 1953, William Lee [pseudonym; William S. Burroughs], Junkie, New York: Ace Books:
(transitive) To arrange (an event etc.).
Could you fix it for me to meet the band backstage?
Forms
Spelling
Features
Labels
Source
fixed
Number=Plur, Tense=Past
lexicographic
fixed
Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Past
lexicographic
fixed
Number=Sing, Person=2, Tense=Past
lexicographic
fixed
Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part
lexicographic
fixed
Mood=Sub, Tense=Past
lexicographic
fixed
Number=Sing, Person=1, Tense=Past
lexicographic
fixed
Tense=Past
lexicographic
fixing
Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part
lexicographic
fixt
Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part
lexicographic
fixt
Tense=Past
lexicographic
fixedst
Number=Sing, Person=2, Tense=Past
archaic
lexicographic
fixe
alternative, archaic, verb
lexicographic
fixest
Number=Sing, Person=2, Tense=Pres
archaic
lexicographic
fix
Number=Plur, Tense=Pres
lexicographic
fix
VerbForm=Inf
lexicographic
fix
Mood=Sub, Tense=Pres
lexicographic
fix
Number=Sing, Person=1, Tense=Pres
lexicographic
fix
Mood=Imp, Tense=Pres
lexicographic
fix
Number=Sing, Person=2, Tense=Pres
lexicographic
fixes
Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres
lexicographic
fixeth
Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres
archaic
lexicographic
Antonyms
change (antonym(s) of “to hold in place”) · move (antonym(s) of “to hold in place”)
uk ла́годити (to mend or repair) · de machen (to prepare) · pl mocować (to attach; to affix; to hold in place) · tr düzeltmek (to mend or repair) · gl arranxar (to mend or repair) · ja 固定する (to attach; to affix; to hold in place) · bg приго́твям (to prepare) · ja 据える (to attach; to affix; to hold in place) · th ซ่อม (to mend or repair) · it riparare (to mend or repair) · ja 修理する (to mend or repair) · it Sterilizzare (to render an animal infertile) · sv ordna (to prepare) · nn fikse (to mend or repair) · fr fixer (to attach; to affix; to hold in place) · yi פֿאַרריכטן (to mend or repair) · de flicken (to mend or repair) · sh pòpraviti (to mend or repair) · cs spravit (to mend or repair) · sh pòpravljati (to mend or repair) · grc σκευάζω (to prepare) · ru отремонти́ровать (to mend or repair) · grc πήγνυμι (to attach; to affix; to hold in place) · vi chuẩn bị (to prepare) · ug ياسىماق (to mend or repair) · de sterilisieren (to render an animal infertile) · nn bøta (to mend or repair) · nb fikse (to mend or repair) · ja 直す (to mend or repair) · cmn 固定 (to attach; to affix; to hold in place) · mi whakapai (to mend or repair) · da berede (to prepare) · pt capar (to render an animal infertile) · uk відремонтува́ти (to mend or repair) · arz صلح (to mend or repair) · pl zamocować (to attach; to affix; to hold in place) · ko 고정하다 (to attach; to affix; to hold in place) · es atufar (to mend or repair) · es capar (to render an animal infertile) · da fikse (to mend or repair) · be папра́віць (to mend or repair) · de anheften (to attach; to affix; to hold in place) · de kastrieren (to render an animal infertile) · nn reparera (to mend or repair) · bg попра́вям (to mend or repair) · nb bøte (to mend or repair) · el διορθώνω (to mend or repair) · gl reparar (to mend or repair) · fi valmistaa (to prepare) · ca arreglar (to mend or repair) · ru фикси́ровать (to attach; to affix; to hold in place) · ru закрепи́ть (to render (a photographic impression) permanent) · no ordne (to prepare) · no fikse (to make a contest, vote, or gamble unfair) · nn bøte (to mend or repair) · la reficiō (to mend or repair) · es arreglar (to mend or repair) · de zubereiten (to prepare) · ru испра́вить (to mend or repair) · ko 고치다 (to mend or repair) · mk поправи (to mend or repair) · fr stériliser (to render an animal infertile) · nb vøle (to mend or repair) · ru фикси́ровать (to render (a photographic impression) permanent) · pl kastrować (to render an animal infertile) · uk закріпля́ти (to render (a photographic impression) permanent) · ga cuir caoi ar (to mend or repair) · de vorbereiten (to prepare) · fi kiinnittää (to attach; to affix; to hold in place) · ja 治す (to mend or repair) · uk встано́влювати (to attach; to affix; to hold in place) · pl naprawiać (to mend or repair) · nn vøle (to mend or repair) · fr préparer (to prepare) · cmn 安裝 /安装 (to attach; to affix; to hold in place) · de fixieren (to attach; to affix; to hold in place) · uk спра́вити (to mend or repair) · nn reparere (to mend or repair) · ca preparar (to prepare) · uk приготува́ти (to prepare) · bg фикси́рам (to render (a photographic impression) permanent) · uk укрі́плювати (to attach; to affix; to hold in place) · sk opraviť (to mend or repair) · ar صَلَّحَ (to mend or repair) · cs opravit (to mend or repair) · pl utrwalić (to render (a photographic impression) permanent) · es pregar (to attach; to affix; to hold in place) · th เตรียม (to prepare) · ug يامىماق (to mend or repair) · ru закрепля́ть (to render (a photographic impression) permanent) · el στήνω (to make a contest, vote, or gamble unfair) · el φτιάχνω (to prepare) · sl popravljati (to mend or repair) · ga deisigh (to mend or repair) · it fissare (to render (a photographic impression) permanent) · ru кастри́ровать (to render an animal infertile) · bg попра́вя (to mend or repair) · km ជួសជុល (to mend or repair) · ru приготови́ть (to prepare) · nb reparere (to mend or repair) · de befestigen (to attach; to affix; to hold in place) · ru готови́ть (to prepare) · pt preparar (to prepare) · pl przymocować (to attach; to affix; to hold in place) · it mettere una pezza (to mend or repair) · nn fiksa (to mend or repair) · lo ຊ່ອມ (to mend or repair) · mk поправува (to mend or repair) · ang ġebētan (to mend or repair) · mn засах (to mend or repair) · ja キメる (to inject a drug) · be папраўля́ць (to mend or repair) · la sarciō (to mend or repair) · nn vøla (to mend or repair) · uk каструва́ти (to render an animal infertile) · pt fixar (to attach; to affix; to hold in place) · grc καταρτίζω (to mend or repair) · mi whakarapa (to attach; to affix; to hold in place) · no gjelde (to render an animal infertile) · ru исправля́ть (to mend or repair) · de manipulieren (to make a contest, vote, or gamble unfair) · es componer (to mend or repair) · gl preparar (to prepare) · pt consertar (to mend or repair) · pt reparar (to mend or repair) · az düzəltmək (to mend or repair) · nl repareren (to mend or repair) · pl naprawić (to mend or repair) · tr onarmak (to mend or repair) · vi sửa chữa (to mend or repair) · de anhängen (to attach; to affix; to hold in place) · is laga (to mend or repair) · hu javít (to mend or repair) · es fijar (to hold at a particular time) · it sistemare (to mend or repair) · sv fästa (to attach; to affix; to hold in place) · sv fixa (to mend or repair) · eo fiksi (to attach; to affix; to hold in place) · la reconcinnō (to mend or repair) · uk справля́ти (to mend or repair) · gl amañar (to mend or repair) · de fixieren (to render (a photographic impression) permanent) · he תִּקֵּן \ תיקן (to mend or repair) · uk пола́годити (to mend or repair) · ru установи́ть (to attach; to affix; to hold in place) · mn сэлбэх (to mend or repair) · ka შეკეთება (to mend or repair) · ru зафикси́ровать (to attach; to affix; to hold in place) · fr tricher (to make a contest, vote, or gamble unfair) · sh по̀прављати (to mend or repair) · fr truquer (to make a contest, vote, or gamble unfair) · ru ремонти́ровать (to mend or repair) · sl popraviti (to mend or repair) · la pangō (to attach; to affix; to hold in place) · fr réparer (to mend or repair) · pl utrwalać (to render (a photographic impression) permanent) · mi tapi (to mend or repair) · be адрамантава́ць (to mend or repair) · sv åtgärda (to mend or repair) · ru устана́вливать (to attach; to affix; to hold in place) · la restituō (to mend or repair) · pt castrar (to render an animal infertile) · uk фіксува́ти (to render (a photographic impression) permanent) · eo ripari (to mend or repair) · es enjaquimar (to mend or repair) · uk стерилізува́ти (to render an animal infertile) · fa درست کردن (to mend or repair) · es fijar (to attach; to affix; to hold in place) · ota تعمیر ایتمك (to mend or repair) · fi tehdä (to prepare) · ko 수리하다 (to mend or repair) · gl amañar (to prepare) · pl przygotowywać (to prepare) · tr tamir etmek (to mend or repair) · ru зафикси́ровать (to render (a photographic impression) permanent) · fi korjata (to mend or repair) · ca fixar (to attach; to affix; to hold in place) · no fiksere (to map (a point or subset) to itself) · no feste (to attach; to affix; to hold in place) · nl fixen (to make a contest, vote, or gamble unfair) · bg закре́пвам (to attach; to affix; to hold in place) · ru стерилизова́ть (to render an animal infertile) · fi sopia (to make a contest, vote, or gamble unfair) · ru почини́ть (to mend or repair) · da reparere (to mend or repair) · nl fixen (to inject a drug) · be пра́віць (to mend or repair) · de match-fixing (to make a contest, vote, or gamble unfair) · uk готува́ти (to prepare) · toi bambulula (to mend or repair) · ru чини́ть (to mend or repair) · km កែ (to mend or repair) · fa تعمیر کردن (to mend or repair) · ar أَصْلَحَ (to mend or repair) · it aggiustare (to mend or repair) · ug ئوڭلىماق (to mend or repair) · cmn 修理 (to mend or repair) · be рамантава́ць (to mend or repair) · it preparare (to prepare) · ast iguar (to mend or repair) · fi leikata (to render an animal infertile) · es apañar (to mend or repair) · mi ngahu (to attach; to affix; to hold in place) · uk фіксува́ти (to attach; to affix; to hold in place) · pt arrumar (to mend or repair) · de reparieren (to mend or repair) · sh по̀правити (to mend or repair) · uk ремонтува́ти (to mend or repair) · it sterilizzare (to render an animal infertile) · pl sterylizować (to render an animal infertile) · la fīgō (to attach; to affix; to hold in place)