jerry-build
Throw together carelessly
To jerry-build is to construct something cheaply and flimsily, using inferior materials or shoddy methods.
The term implies haste and corner-cutting rather than craftsmanship: The developer jerry-built dozens of houses that started falling apart within five years.
Jerry-built structures look adequate but lack durability.
The adjective jerry-built is more common than the verb.
Careless and hasty
- slapdashHasty and careless
- ramshackleBadly deteriorated from neglect
- flimsyWeak and easily damaged
- ricketyUnsteady, liable to collapse
botched · haphazard · careless · sloppy · substandard · inferior · second-rate · half-baked
Created without prior planning
- stopgapTemporary substitute measure
- temporaryLimited in duration
- provisionalConditional and possibly temporary
- ad-hocFor a specific purpose
cobbled-together · jury-rigged · make-do · expedient · hasty · patched · lash-up · kludge
Prone to sudden change
- precariousDangerously insecure
- hazardousLikely to cause injury
- dangerousApt to cause harm
- wobblyTending to teeter
shaky · unsteady · rickety · treacherous · risky · collapsible · teetering · insecure
Offered below usual price
- bargain-basementExtremely cheap or inferior
- low-costRequiring little money
- budgetPlan for spending
- cheapjackPeddler of shoddy goods
penny-pinching · cost-cutting · economizing · skimping · underfunded · low-budget · no-frills · shortcut
slipshod
Careless and hasty
- slapdashHasty and careless
- ramshackleBadly deteriorated from neglect
- flimsyWeak and easily damaged
rickety · botched · haphazard · careless · sloppy · substandard · inferior · second-rate · half-baked · thrown-together
improvised
Created without prior planning
- stopgapTemporary substitute measure
- temporaryLimited in duration
- provisionalConditional and possibly temporary
ad-hoc · cobbled-together · jury-rigged · make-do · expedient · hasty · patched · lash-up · kludge · band-aid
unstable
Prone to sudden change
- precariousDangerously insecure
- hazardousLikely to cause injury
- dangerousApt to cause harm
wobbly · shaky · unsteady · rickety · treacherous · risky · collapsible · teetering · insecure · condemned
cut-rate
Offered below usual price
- bargain-basementExtremely cheap or inferior
- low-costRequiring little money
- budgetPlan for spending
cheapjack · penny-pinching · cost-cutting · economizing · skimping · underfunded · low-budget · no-frills · shortcut
jerry-buildcraft
Skilled manual art
engineer · overengineer · fortify · reinforce · timber-frame