improvise

improvise — verb

1. to make or arrange something on the spur of the moment, using whatever materials

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveB2
Definition

to make or arrange something on the spur of the moment, using whatever materials you can find when the proper ones are missing or there is no time to plan ahead

Example

Jiwoo forgot her school play costume and improvised one from a bedsheet and paint.

improvise + noun (the thing created)

The chef had no cream, so she improvised a sauce with yogurt and herbs.

Common collocations
  • improvise a meal
  • improvise a tool
  • improvise a solution
  • improvise a bed
  • improvise a fix
Synonyms
  • make do

    more about surviving or getting by with limited resources rather than actively creating something

  • wing it

    informal; can apply to any unplanned action but often carries a sense of hoping things turn out okay

  • patch together

    emphasises that the result is rough or temporary

Antonyms
  • prepare

    to plan and get ready in advance

  • plan

    to decide on a course of action beforehand

Grammar Patterns

improvise + noun (the thing created)

improvise (with no object)

Usage Note

Often used when describing how people solve everyday practical problems without the correct tools, ingredients, or equipment. The object can be a physical thing (a shelf, a meal, a tool) or an abstract thing (a solution, a method, a plan).

Common Mistakes

I improvised a new recipe in the kitchen, which means I planned it for days.
I improvised a new recipe with whatever vegetables I found in the fridge.
'improvise' always involves doing something without prior planning.

2. to perform music, speech, or acting that is created spontaneously at the moment

2.verbtransitive / intransitiveB2
Definition

to perform music, speech, or acting that is created spontaneously at the moment of performance, without a written score, script, or prior rehearsal

Example

The jazz pianist improvised a melody over the bass line as the audience listened.

improvise + melody / solo / line (music)

Christopher forgot a line during the play but calmly improvised until he found his place.

Common collocations
  • improvise a solo
  • improvise a melody
  • improvise a scene
  • improvise a speech
  • improvise on a theme
Synonyms
  • ad-lib

    restricted to spoken dialogue or verbal performance; less common for music

  • extemporize

    formal; can apply to music, speech, or performance but sounds academic

  • jam

    informal; specifically about musicians playing together spontaneously

Antonyms
  • rehearse

    to practice something before performing it

  • script

    to write out exactly what will be said or performed

Grammar Patterns

improvise + noun (a solo, a scene, a melody)

improvise on + noun (a theme, a chord progression)

Usage Note

This is the core term for spontaneous creation in the performing arts, especially jazz and theatre. Distinguished from 'ad-lib' — 'improvise' can refer to any kind of performance (music, acting, comedy), while 'ad-lib' is mostly used for spoken lines or verbal humor.

Common Mistakes

The pianist studied the score carefully and then improvised the piece exactly as written.
The pianist created a new melody on the spot
she improvised.' — If you follow written music, you are not improvising.

Word family

  • improvisation
    nounB2
  • improvisational
    adjectiveC1
  • improvisatory
    adjectiveC1
  • improviser
    nounC1
  • improvised
    adjectiveB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/2

All four words describe doing something without prior preparation, but they differ in register and domain. 'Improvise' is the broadest term, covering music, acting, speech, and practical problem-solving — it is neutral in register and the most common choice for learners. 'Ad-lib' is limited to spoken words or verbal humor; it describes what an actor does when she forgets a line and makes up a replacement. 'Wing it' is informal and often carries a slight sense of anxiety or recklessness — you wing it when you have to give a speech you have not prepared for. 'Extemporize' is formal and appears mostly in written or academic English, typically for public speaking or performance without notes. 'Jam' is casual slang specific to musicians playing together without a fixed arrangement. For example, a comedian improvises a joke based on audience reactions, the actor ad-libs a new line when the script goes blank, the nervous presenter wings her way through the Q&A session, and the quartet jams on a blues riff until dawn.

ad-libwing itextemporizejam ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • a meal
  • a solution
  • a melody
  • a tool
  • a speech
  • a shelter
  • a scene

Adverbs

Phrases

  • make do with
  • play it by ear
  • think on one's feet

Prepositions

  • with (improvise with available materials)
  • from (improvise from what is at hand)
  • on (improvise on a theme)
  • over (improvise over a chord progression)

Etymology

LatinItalianFrenchEnglish

The word 'improvise' traces back to Latin 'improvisus' meaning 'unforeseen' — a combination of 'in-' (not) and 'provisus' (foreseen, from 'providere' meaning to foresee). It entered English through Italian 'improvvisare' (to sing or speak on the spur of the moment) in the 19th century. The musical sense — creating spontaneous compositions during performance — became prominent with the rise of jazz and other improvisational arts.