jugaad

Jugaad is a Hindi word, used across South Asia, for a clever, makeshift fix: solving a problem with whatever you have on hand. Think a broken handle held together with a spoon, or an engine bolted onto a cart.

What jugaad means

Wikipedia describes jugaad as using ingenuity to make scarce resources work in a clever, unconventional way. It can be admiring (“that’s brilliant jugaad”) or a little wry, because a jugaad fix is rarely pretty and might not last. People also say they’ll “do some jugaad” when they mean they’ll find a way, by hook or by crook, to get something done: a ticket, an appointment, a last-minute part.

Jugaad in business

The idea has gone global as a name for frugal innovation. Wikipedia notes that management writers, including the Cambridge professor Jaideep Prabhu, have promoted jugaad as a lesson for companies in rich and developing economies alike.

Jugaad on wheels

In parts of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, a jugaad is also a homemade vehicle, built by local mechanics from wooden planks, metal sheets and parts of other machines. Wiktionary lists this sense too: a powered quadricycle used in India.

Examples

• “The printer’s broken, but he did some jugaad with tape and a paperclip.”
• “Don’t worry about tickets, I’ll do some jugaad.”
• “Our whole office runs on jugaad.”

Where it came from

Wiktionary traces it to Hindi jugāṛ, meaning joining or union, and notes it is distantly related to the English word “yoke.”

Related terms

• Timepass: killing time.
• Rubber ducking: solving a problem by explaining it.
• Side hustle: extra work on the side.
• Mast: great, cool.

More words from other languages are in our world slang guide.