Rig Definition: How to Use It Correctly

Meaning 1：dishonestly arrange (rig)

rig 🔊

/rɪɡ/

vt.

to arrange something in a dishonest way to get the result you want

Illustration of rig meaning: person secretly tampering with ballot papers in a dark room.

dishonestly arrange 🔊

➕

/dɪˈsɒn.ɪst.li əˈreɪndʒ/

vt.

To rig means to set up or organize something in a deceptive, illegal, or unfair manner to achieve a desired outcome, often involving fraud or manipulation.

📁 Category：Countries & Government 🔖 Level：intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

Rig is of Germanic origin, from Middle English 'riggen' meaning 'to fit out', possibly from Old Norse 'rigga' meaning 'to bind or tie'. It relates to structuring or setting up, as seen in nautical rigging.

💡 Mnemonic

Imagine a magician rigging a trick deck to always draw the ace; similarly, to rig something is to secretly set it up for a specific, often unfair, result.

📖 Example

The politician was accused of trying to rig the election by buying votes. 🔊 The politician faced allegations of attempting to dishonestly manipulate the election through the purchase of votes.

🔗 Collocations

rig an election – to manipulate an election fraudulently to influence the result

rig the game – to set up a game or competition in a dishonest way to ensure a specific outcome

rig the results – to alter or falsify outcomes deceptively

🔄 Synonyms

manipulate (vt.) – to control or influence something skillfully and often unfairly

fix (vt.) – to arrange something dishonestly to achieve a predetermined result

tamper with (phr. v.) – to interfere with something in order to cause damage or make unauthorized alterations

🚫 Antonyms

conduct fairly (phr. v.) – to carry out something in a just and unbiased manner

🌱 Derivatives

rigging (n.) – the act or instance of dishonestly manipulating something

rigged (adj.) – set up or arranged in a deceptive or unfair way

📖 Cultural Story

Rig originally referred to the ropes and sails of a ship, from nautical terminology. In the 19th century, it began to be used metaphorically for dishonest manipulation, such as in elections, where 'rigging' implies setting up conditions unfairly to predetermine an outcome. This shift reflects the word's evolution from physical arrangement to deceptive control.