Macgyver

//məˈɡaɪvɚ// noun, verb

noun, verb ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    Someone capable of improvising a solution from available resources.
Verb
  1. 1
    To assemble or repair something by ingenious improvisation, using everyday items that would not usually be used for the purpose. dated, transitive

    "Our car broke down and we didn't have any tools but Jim MacGyvered it with some toenail clippers and we were able to limp to the service station."

  2. 2
    Alternative spelling of MacGyver. alt-of, alternative

Example

More examples

"Our car broke down and we didn't have any tools but Jim MacGyvered it with some toenail clippers and we were able to limp to the service station."

Etymology

From the name of the eponymous character in the television program MacGyver, a secret agent with an uncanny ability to construct weapons from seemingly useless bits of junk.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.