A direct adaptive control scheme based on a fuzzy approximator with variable contraction-expansion factors(VCEF-DAFC) is proposed. The adaptation of domain and partition pertaining to the VCEF-based fuzzy system(VCEF-FS) is achieved by updating online the VCEF, and thereby leading to parsimonious fuzzy rules which can achieve remarkable approximation accuracy. Moreover, an integral-type compensator for the approximation error is designed to further avoid high-frequency control signals associated with the robust term. Simulation studies and comprehensive comparisons demonstrate the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed VCEF-DAFC approach.