improvise

American  

[im-pruh-vahyz] / ˈɪm prəˌvaɪz /

verb (used with object)

improvises, present (3rd person singular) improvised, past participle, past improvising present participle

1. to compose and perform or deliver without previous preparation; extemporize.

   to improvise an acceptance speech.

2. to compose, play, recite, or sing (verse, music, etc.) on the spur of the moment.

3. to make, provide, or arrange from whatever materials are readily available.

   We improvised a dinner from yesterday's leftovers.

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verb (used without object)

improvises, present (3rd person singular) improvised, past participle, past improvising present participle

1. to compose, utter, execute, or arrange anything extemporaneously.

   When the actor forgot his lines he had to improvise.

improvise British  

/ ˈɪmprəˌvaɪz /

verb

1. to perform or make quickly from materials and sources available, without previous planning

2. to perform (a poem, play, piece of music, etc), composing as one goes along

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• improviser
  noun
• improvisor
  noun

Conjugated Forms

Present

• has improvised
  perfect 3rd person singular
• have improvised
  perfect
• have been improvising
  perfect progressive
• is improvising
  progressive 3rd person singular
• am improvising
  progressive 1st person singular
• has been improvising
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular
• improvising
  participle
• improvises
  singular 3rd person
• are improvising
  progressive

Past

• had improvised
  perfect
• were improvising
  progressive plural
• had been improvising
  perfect progressive
• improvised
  simple
• improvised
  participle
• was improvising
  progressive singular

Future

• will improvise
  simple
• will have improvised
  perfect
• will be improvising
  progressive
• will have been improvising
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of improvise

First recorded in 1820–30; from French improviser, or its source, Italian improvisare (later improvvisare ), verbal derivative of improviso “improvised,” from Latin imprōvīsus, equivalent to im- “un-” + prōvīsus, past participle of prōvidēre “to see beforehand, prepare, provide for (a future circumstance)”; see im- ², proviso

Explanation

To improvise means to make something up on the spot, or figure it out as you go. "Our boss decided to improvise his speech at our company meeting and when he started going off-topic, everyone could tell he hadn't prepared in advance." Improvise comes from the Latin word improvisus, meaning "unforeseen, unexpected." Think about when something unexpected happens to you — you have no choice but to react in the moment, or improvise. Another meaning for improvise refers to acting onstage without a script. When actors improvise scenes for an audience, they create funny situations as they go, without having anything pre-planned. The Second City theater in Chicago made this type of comedy famous, with many well-known alumni like Tina Fey and Stephen Colbert.

Example Sentences

Those that stonewall or improvise under pressure prolong the damage.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026

"When I play and I improvise, I don't think, because music comes from the subconscious, someplace else," Rollins told news site The Root.

From Barron's • May 26, 2026

Smartphones are not meant to be out in UK classrooms either, but with no national rules on where they should be the rest of the day, schools and teachers are left to improvise.

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026

The owner, Joon Lee, responded in kind and gave us a Monday night to improvise our grief; we read Baraka’s poems to one another and told stories.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 28, 2026

A good performer will be familiar with dozens of ragas and can improvise music — traditional classical music in India is improvised — using the accepted format for each raga.

From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones

Related Words

• ad-lib
• brainstorm
• concoct
• contrive
• devise
• dream up
• invent
• throw together