make do
Get by improvising
To make do is to manage with whatever is available, even if it's less than ideal: We'll have to make do with what we have.
The phrase implies resourcefulness in the face of scarcity—accepting imperfect substitutes rather than going without entirely.
There's no butter, so we'll make do with margarine.
Improvise temporary repair
- cobble togetherAssemble hastily from whatever's available
- kludgeAwkward but functional solution
- bodgeCrude temporary repair
- jerry-rigImprovise a crude repair
MacGyver · patch up · throw together · whip up · rig · contrive · fashion · tinker
Clever, original thinking
- clevernessMental quickness and skill
- inventivenessCapacity for original creation
- self-relianceDepending on oneself alone
- thriftCareful use of resources
frugality · creativity · scrappiness · practicality · street smarts · know-how · adaptability · versatility
Limiting distribution during scarcity
- shortageDeficient supply of necessities
- austerityEnforced economic stringency
- deprivationState of lacking necessities
- lackDeficiency or absence
want · insufficiency · hardship · lean times · tight budget · pinch · crunch · bare bones
Meeting the requirement
- sufficientMeeting minimum requirements
- passableMinimally sufficient quality
- serviceableFit for purpose
- adequateBarely meeting standards
acceptable · tolerable · workable · functional · good enough · bare minimum · basic · modest
jury-rig
Improvise temporary repair
- cobble togetherAssemble hastily from whatever's available
- kludgeAwkward but functional solution
- bodgeCrude temporary repair
MacGyver · jerry-rig · patch up · throw together · whip up · rig · contrive · fashion · tinker · hack
ingenuity
Clever, original thinking
- clevernessMental quickness and skill
- inventivenessCapacity for original creation
- self-relianceDepending on oneself alone
thrift · frugality · creativity · scrappiness · practicality · street smarts · know-how · adaptability · versatility · hustle
rationing
Limiting distribution during scarcity
- shortageDeficient supply of necessities
- austerityEnforced economic stringency
- deprivationState of lacking necessities
lack · want · insufficiency · hardship · lean times · tight budget · pinch · crunch · bare bones · hand-to-mouth
enough
Meeting the requirement
- sufficientMeeting minimum requirements
- passableMinimally sufficient quality
- serviceableFit for purpose
adequate · acceptable · tolerable · workable · functional · good enough · bare minimum · basic · modest · decent
- improviseimprovise, wing it, ad-lib, jury-rig, cobble together
- compromisecompromise, middle ground, meet halfway, give and take, give-and-take
- Chinglishlong time no see, lose face, give face
- problem-solvingproblem solving, puzzles, riddles, logic, solutions
- adaptabilityadapt, flexibility, resilience, adaptability, pliability
- endurancestamina, endure, perseverance, persistence, staying power