improvise
Americanverb (used with object)
-
improvises,
present (3rd person singular)
-
improvised,
past participle, past
-
improvising
present participle
-
to compose and perform or deliver without previous preparation; extemporize.
to improvise an acceptance speech.
-
to compose, play, recite, or sing (verse, music, etc.) on the spur of the moment.
-
to make, provide, or arrange from whatever materials are readily available.
We improvised a dinner from yesterday's leftovers.
verb (used without object)
-
improvises,
present (3rd person singular)
-
improvised,
past participle, past
-
improvising
present participle
verb
-
to perform or make quickly from materials and sources available, without previous planning
-
to perform (a poem, play, piece of music, etc), composing as one goes along
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
improvisesimple
-
improvisessimple
-
have improvisedperfect
-
has improvisedperfect
-
am improvisingprogressive
-
are improvisingprogressive
-
is improvisingprogressive
-
have been improvisingperfect progressive
-
has been improvisingperfect progressive
Past
-
improvisedsimple
-
had improvisedperfect
-
was improvisingprogressive
-
were improvisingprogressive
-
had been improvisingperfect progressive
Future
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.
Vocabulary lists containing improvise
Music - Introductory
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
30 GRE Words Beginning with "I"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Stargirl
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
If you like quarterbacks who improvise, Tanner is your guy.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 9, 2026
Watch the export miracle turn into a pumpkin or improvise.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
The scale of the disaster has overwhelmed local services, forcing institutions to improvise.
From BBC ● Jul. 3, 2026
Celenza says that “the best, most resourceful” home cooks are the ones that are willing to improvise.
From Salon ● Jul. 2, 2026
“Take another little piece of my heart now, baby ...” The band tried to improvise a big finish, but in the end, the song just fizzled out.
From "Small Steps" by Louis Sachar
But when Cole solos and improvises, it’s more often in single notes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 1, 2026
An octet of guest artists improvises in certain passages embedded within the score but also plays written-out music with the rest of the orchestra.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 21, 2024
In one song, “Are You Blue,” O’Hara improvises with the band, her otherworldly soprano a contrast to the splintery score.
From New York Times ● Jan. 22, 2024
She improvises her way through what she refuses to regard as a disastrous life, walks around rules that make no sense to her, and steamrolls her way over the objections of lesser mortals.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 16, 2023
“Melvin was in the gifted-and-talented program at his old school,” my mom quickly improvises.
From "The Fourteenth Goldfish" by Jennifer L. Holm
Rosales is aware that the world has its eyes on L.A. and that people everywhere are learning the cultural vernacular improvised by Cali’s brown folks.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
It was improvised, deeply untraditional and exactly the kind of stuffing I wanted to eat again.
From Salon ● Sep. 6, 2026
A new study led by researchers at the University of Bologna suggests that the markings were far more organized than simple scratches or improvised decorations.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 9, 2026
"His captivated, always improvised narration made that show the platonic ideal of natural history for me, and introduced a whole generation to the fascination of birds."
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
A shower had been improvised from a rubber hose and a bucket filled with water heated by the kitchen staff.
From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer
The crew found "a harmony" like "dancing together", taking no special direction and improvising a lot.
From Barron's ● Jun. 19, 2026
Greek yogurt is one of the few ingredients that has matched my energy in the kitchen: constantly improvising, making it work with what I got, and never letting things go to waste.
From Salon ● Apr. 28, 2026
Elite teams managed by him maintain an ideal combination of intelligence within structure, and he has players capable of improvising solutions when patterns break down.
From BBC ● Apr. 17, 2026
“I said, ‘I’m just going to be an improvising partner with you.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 7, 2026
Tools for emergency, tow lines, a small block and tackle, a trenching tool and crowbar, tools for making and fixing and improvising.
From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
