fix

fix — verb

1. to mend something that is broken, damaged, or not working properly, so it works

1.verbtransitiveB1
Definition

to mend something that is broken, damaged, or not working properly, so it works or looks the way it should

Example

Élise fixed the leaky tap in the kitchen with a new washer.

transitive: fix + broken object

The mechanic fixed the car engine just in time for the trip.

Common collocations
  • fix a tap
  • fix an engine
  • fix a phone
  • fix a chair
  • fix a lock
  • fix a pipe
  • fix a leak
  • fix a hole
  • get something fixed
Synonyms
  • repair

    more formal; used especially for machines, buildings, and complex items

  • mend

    more common for clothing, fabric, or simple household items like fences

  • restore

    implies returning something to its original good condition, often with care

Antonyms
  • break

    to damage something so it stops working or separates into pieces

Grammar Patterns

fix + noun phrase (the broken thing)

2. to choose and agree on a particular time, place, price, or other detail for some

2.verbtransitive / intransitiveB2
Definition

to choose and agree on a particular time, place, price, or other detail for something that will happen

Example

Walid and Sofia fixed a meeting for Friday afternoon at the main office.

fix + time + place

We need to fix a date for the party before people make other plans.

Common collocations
  • fix a date
  • fix a time
  • fix a price
  • fix a meeting
  • fix an appointment
  • fix a deadline
  • fix a schedule
Synonyms
  • arrange

    more general; 'fix' implies a more definite, settled agreement

  • agree on

    emphasises mutual decision between two or more people

  • set

    interchangeable in many contexts, especially 'set a date' / 'fix a date'

Grammar Patterns

fix + noun (time/date/price)

fix + to-infinitive

fix + something + for + someone

Usage Note

Commonly used with nouns like 'date', 'time', 'price', 'meeting', and 'appointment'. The preposition 'for' often introduces the agreed detail.

3. to put something firmly in a particular spot and keep it there by using nails, s

3.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to put something firmly in a particular spot and keep it there by using nails, screws, or glue

Example

Christopher fixed the shelf to the wall using four long screws.

fix + object + to + surface

A large mirror was fixed firmly above the bathroom sink.

passive: be fixed + position

Common collocations
  • fix to a wall
  • fix in place
  • fix onto a surface
  • fix firmly
  • fix with screws
  • fix a shelf
  • fix a sign
  • fix a hook
Synonyms
  • attach

    more general; 'fix' implies a stronger, more permanent fastening

  • fasten

    very close in meaning; 'fasten' is more common for clothes and belts

  • secure

    suggests making something safe from movement or theft

Antonyms
  • detach

    to remove something that was fixed or attached

Grammar Patterns

fix + noun + to/on/in + noun

Usage Note

Almost always appears with a preposition or adverb that indicates the location ('to', 'on', 'in', 'onto'). The bare transitive form ('fix the shelf') implies REPAIR sense without context.

4. to direct your eyes or your attention steadily and without distraction toward a

4.verbtransitiveC2
Definition

to direct your eyes or your attention steadily and without distraction toward a particular person or thing

Example

The sailor fixed his eyes on the lighthouse through the dense fog.

fix + eyes + on + target

Nila fixed her attention on the crossword and ignored the noise outside.

fix + attention + on + task

Common collocations
  • fix one's eyes on
  • fix one's gaze on
  • fix one's attention on
  • fix one's mind on
  • fix one's stare on
  • fix one's thoughts on
Synonyms
  • focus

    less formal and more common; can refer both to eyes and to mental effort

  • direct

    more literal; does not imply sustained attention the way 'fix' does

Antonyms
  • ignore

    to deliberately pay no attention to someone or something

Grammar Patterns

fix + eyes/gaze/attention + on + noun

Usage Note

The object is typically a body part or mental faculty ('eyes', 'gaze', 'attention', 'mind', 'stare'), not a person or thing directly. The preposition 'on' (or 'upon') introduces the target.

5. to hold a thought, image, or piece of information firmly in your mind so that it

5.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

to hold a thought, image, or piece of information firmly in your mind so that it stays there over time

Example

Owen could not fix the details of the directions in his mind.

fix + details + in mind

Yael fixed the tune of that song in her head and hummed it all day.

Common collocations
  • fix in mind
  • fix in memory
  • fix in one's head
  • fix in one's heart
  • fix in thought
Synonyms
  • remember

    simpler and more common; 'fix in mind' emphasises making a deliberate effort to retain

  • keep in mind

    phrasal; suggests actively holding a thought for future reference

Antonyms
  • forget

    to fail to keep something in your memory

Grammar Patterns

fix + noun + in + mind/memory/head

Usage Note

Always used with a prepositional phrase indicating the mental location ('in your mind', 'in your head', 'in your memory'). This sense is idiomatic — the physical meaning of 'fasten' is applied metaphorically to the mind.

Common Mistakes

I fixed the number in the paper.' (ambiguous — sounds like repair or fasten)
I fixed the number in my mind.
'in my mind' or 'in my head' is required to show the remembering sense.

6. to secretly influence who wins a contest, sporting event, or vote by using disho

6.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

to secretly influence who wins a contest, sporting event, or vote by using dishonest methods that break the rules

Example

The boxing match was fixed so that the champion would keep his title.

passive: match was fixed

The referee was accused of fixing the result of the final game.

active: fix + result

Common collocations
  • fix a match
  • fix a race
  • fix an election
  • fix the result
  • fix a fight
  • fix a contest
  • fix a game
  • fix the outcome
Synonyms
  • rig

    very similar in meaning; 'rig' is even more common for elections ('rig an election')

  • manipulate

    broader meaning; can apply to any situation where outcomes are unfairly controlled

Antonyms
  • play fair

    to compete honestly according to the rules

Grammar Patterns

fix + noun (competition/race/election)

be/get fixed + by + agent

Usage Note

Commonly appears in the passive voice ('was fixed', 'had been fixed') because the agent is often unknown or unnamed. The noun subject is typically an organised event: match, race, contest, game, election, or vote.

7. to arrange or adjust your hair, face, or clothes so that they look neat and attr

7.verbtransitiveB1
Definition

to arrange or adjust your hair, face, or clothes so that they look neat and attractive.

Example

Roya fixed her hair in the bathroom before the dinner party started.

fix + body part (hair) as object

Adisa stopped to fix his tie and straighten his jacket outside the office.

Common collocations
  • fix your hair
  • fix your make-up
  • fix your tie
  • fix your collar
  • fix your dress
Synonyms
  • tidy up

    phrasal verb, more general — can apply to a room or a person

  • adjust

    more precise, suggests small movements for alignment

  • arrange

    more general, can apply to objects or appearance

Antonyms
  • mess up

    the deliberate opposite of making tidy

Grammar Patterns

fix + noun phrase (hair / make-up / clothes / tie / collar)

Usage Note

Often used with nouns for specific body parts or clothing items — hair, face, tie, collar, dress, make-up. The object names the thing being made tidy, not the person.

Common Mistakes

I fixed the broken chair' (when meaning I made it tidy, not repaired it).
I fixed my hair before leaving the house.
The REPAIR sense uses a broken object; the TIDY sense uses a part of your appearance.

8. to prepare a meal, a drink, or a dish for yourself or for someone else.

8.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to prepare a meal, a drink, or a dish for yourself or for someone else.

Example

Padma fixed a simple curry for dinner using vegetables from her garden.

fix + noun phrase for a meal

Wei fixed his guests a pot of jasmine tea after the meal ended.

fix + two objects: indirect object + direct object

Common collocations
  • fix dinner
  • fix a meal
  • fix a sandwich
  • fix coffee
  • fix tea
  • fix breakfast
Synonyms
  • prepare

    more formal, can apply to any kind of preparation

  • make

    more general, can mean prepare food or create something

  • cook

    specifically involves applying heat to food

Grammar Patterns

fix + noun phrase (food / drink / meal)

fix + indirect object + direct object (fix someone something)

Usage Note

Can take two objects: 'fix someone something' (e.g. 'I fixed her a sandwich') or 'fix something for someone' (e.g. 'I fixed a sandwich for her'). The indirect object is the person who will eat or drink.

Common Mistakes

I fixed a broken meal' (mixing REPAIR sense with FOOD sense).
I fixed a quick meal for my family.
The REPAIR sense is for mending broken things; the FOOD sense is for preparing food.

9. to be about to do something or to have the intention of doing it soon, especiall

9.verbintransitiveB1
Definition

to be about to do something or to have the intention of doing it soon, especially in informal speech.

Example

Mira is fixing to start her new job at the hospital next Monday morning.

be fixing to + infinitive (informal AmE pattern)

Daichi and Christopher were fixing to leave when the phone suddenly rang.

Common collocations
  • fixing to leave
  • fixing to start
  • fixing to go
  • fixing to call
  • fixing to move
Synonyms
  • be about to

    standard English, same immediacy

  • plan to

    more formal and deliberate, less immediate

  • intend to

    formal, suggests a stronger commitment

Antonyms
  • put off

    to delay doing something instead of planning to do it soon

Grammar Patterns

be fixing to + infinitive

Usage Note

Almost always occurs in the progressive form 'be fixing to'. Rarely used in past perfect or simple past. Common in Southern and Midwestern American dialects; not used in British English or formal writing.

Common Mistakes

I fix to go to the store' (wrong tense).
I am fixing to go to the store.
This sense always uses the progressive 'be fixing to', not the simple form 'fix to'.

10. to get revenge on or punish someone who has treated you badly, dishonestly, or u

10.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to get revenge on or punish someone who has treated you badly, dishonestly, or unfairly.

Example

Padma fixed the neighbour who had been spreading lies about her family.

fix + person (someone who has been unfair)

The villagers banded together to fix the thieves who had robbed their homes.

Common collocations
  • fix someone for what they did
  • fix the person who wronged you
  • fix a cheater
  • fix a bully
Synonyms
Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

fix + noun phrase (a person who has been unfair)

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 7 (TIDY) and sense 8 (COOK): this sense takes a person as object, not a thing. The punishment is usually personal retaliation rather than formal justice.

Common Mistakes

The court fixed the criminal' (too formal — courts punish, they don't 'fix').
The hero fixed the gangster who had destroyed his village.
This sense is informal and implies personal revenge, not legal punishment.

11. to treat developed photographic film or paper with chemicals so that the image b

11.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

to treat developed photographic film or paper with chemicals so that the image becomes permanent and will not fade over time.

Example

Tamás fixed the black-and-white film in the darkroom using special chemicals.

fix + film (photography context)

The photography students learned how to fix their own negatives in class today.

Common collocations
  • fix film
  • fix a negative
  • fix a print
  • fix a photograph
  • chemical fixer
Synonyms
  • develop

    a different step — developing makes the image visible; fixing makes it permanent

  • process

    broader term covering all darkroom steps

Grammar Patterns

fix + noun phrase (film / print / negative / photograph)

Usage Note

Technical term in traditional film photography. The fixing step happens after developing and before washing. Common objects: film, negative, print, photograph. The chemical solution used is called a 'fixer'.

Common Mistakes

I fixed the photo in Photoshop' (digital editing is not fixing).
I fixed the film in the darkroom with sodium thiosulfate.
This sense is specific to chemical photographic processing, not digital.

12. When a living organism — for example, a bacterium in the soil or a green plant —

12.verbtransitiveC2
Definition

When a living organism — for example, a bacterium in the soil or a green plant — takes a gas such as nitrogen and converts it into a chemical form that other organisms can use.

Example

Certain bacteria that live in the soil fix nitrogen so plants can use it.

fix + nitrogen (biological process)

Farmers grow clover because its roots host bacteria that fix nitrogen.

Common collocations
  • fix nitrogen
  • fix carbon dioxide
  • nitrogen-fixing bacteria
  • nitrogen fixation

Grammar Patterns

fix + gas (nitrogen / carbon dioxide)

Usage Note

Technical term in biology, ecology, and chemistry. The object is almost always a specific gas — most commonly nitrogen, sometimes carbon dioxide. The noun 'fixation' is more common in academic writing (e.g. 'nitrogen fixation').

Common Mistakes

The machine fixes nitrogen from the air' (mechanical processes use different terms).
Rhizobium bacteria living in root nodules fix nitrogen for the plant.
This sense describes a biological, not mechanical, process.

13. to surgically treat a domestic animal to stop it from being able to reproduce

13.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to surgically treat a domestic animal to stop it from being able to reproduce

Example

Imani decided to fix her cat after it had its first litter of kittens.

fix + pet animal as object

The local animal shelter fixes every dog before letting people adopt it.

Common collocations
  • fix a cat
  • fix a dog
  • fix a rabbit
  • have an animal fixed
  • fix a pet
Synonyms
  • neuter

    the general clinical term; can apply to any animal

  • spay

    specifically for female animals; more technical than 'fix'

  • castrate

    specifically for male animals; clinical register

Grammar Patterns

fix + animal

Usage Note

Most often used about household pets such as cats and dogs. The term is more neutral in tone than 'neuter' or 'spay' in everyday conversation.

Common Mistakes

I need to fix my broken dog.
I need to fix my dog so it cannot have puppies.
'fix an animal' means to spay or neuter it, not to repair an injury.

14. to put an illegal drug into your body by using a needle

14.verbintransitiveC1
Definition

to put an illegal drug into your body by using a needle

Example

The police arrested a man for fixing in the public restroom.

intransitive use: fix (no object)

Karim saw a woman fixing behind the old train station late at night.

Synonyms
  • shoot up

    equally informal slang; more common in American English

Grammar Patterns

fix (no object)

Usage Note

This sense is always intransitive and highly informal slang. It refers specifically to injecting drugs with a needle, not to other methods of drug use.

Common Mistakes

He fixed the car in the garage.' (if meaning drugs)
He was fixing in the garage.
Without a drug-related context, 'fix' defaults to the REPAIR meaning.

15. to identify and specify the precise location, moment, or quantity of something,

15.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to identify and specify the precise location, moment, or quantity of something, often by measuring or calculating

Example

The rescue team used GPS to fix the hiker's exact location in the mountains.

fix + exact position/location

Mateo tried to fix the time of the accident from the witness reports.

Common collocations
  • fix the position
  • fix the location
  • fix the time
  • fix the boundaries
  • fix the amount
Synonyms
  • determine

    more formal; preferred in academic and technical writing

  • pinpoint

    emphasises high precision; often about locations

  • establish

    more formal; implies a conclusive finding

Grammar Patterns

fix + exact noun (position/time/amount)

fix + wh-clause

Usage Note

More formal than the REPAIR sense of 'fix'. Common in technical, navigational, or investigative contexts where precision is required.

Common Mistakes

The mechanic fixed the price of the car.
The mechanic fixed the exact distance the car had travelled.
For the DETERMINE sense, the object must be a measurement or location, not a cost or arrangement.
Phrasal verbs

fix on

phrasal verb

To decide on or choose something after careful thought.

After much discussion, they fixed on a date for the wedding.

We finally fixed on a design for the new logo.

fix up

phrasal verb

To repair, improve, or make something ready for use.

Brian fixed up his old bicycle and now it rides smoothly.

Can you fix up the guest room before our visitors arrive?

Idioms

be fixing to do something

idiom

To plan or intend to do something soon.

Maya is fixing to bake a cake for her friend's birthday.

Are you fixing to leave for the airport now?

if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it

idiom

Used to say that you should not try to change something that is working well.

Our old software works fine, so if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Why change the recipe? If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

fix — noun

Word family

  • fixed
    adjectiveB1
  • fixer
    nounC1
  • fixable
    adjectiveC1
  • fixation
    nounC1
  • fixture
    nounB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

Fix is the most everyday word of the three — you fix a tap, a phone, a broken toy, or a loose screw. Repair is more formal and suggests a more involved or skilled process; a mechanic repairs a car engine, and a builder repairs a roof. Mend is used mainly for fabric and simple household items — you mend a tear in a shirt or a hole in a fence. Restore goes furthest: it means bringing something back to its original good condition, often with care and attention, such as restoring an antique table or a historic building. In short, fix is for everyday breakdowns, repair for skilled work, mend for cloth and fences, and restore for returning something to its former glory.

repair ↗mend ↗restore ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word comes from Latin 'fixus', meaning 'fastened' or 'fixed', which is the past participle of the verb 'figere' (to fasten or attach). It passed through Old French as 'fixer' before entering Middle English. The earliest English meanings were about physically fastening something in place; over time the word developed figurative senses for arranging, deciding, and repairing.