improvise

American  

[im-pruh-vahyz] / ˈɪm prəˌvaɪz /

verb (used with object)

improvised, improvising

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)

improvised, improvising

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

• improviser noun
• improvisor noun

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

Ehrlich displayed a total lack of confidence in man’s ability to improvise, innovate and invent.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026

In war-devastated Gaza, where construction materials are scarce, Ayub had to improvise to build his small training facility.

From Barron's • Feb. 10, 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

There’s a satisfaction in the challenge, in proving to myself that I can stretch ingredients, improvise a meal, and still feel taken care of.

From Salon • Jan. 11, 2026

She kissed her on the forehead, just as Ferula had kissed her only a few hours earlier in her own dining room, and then she calmly proceeded to improvise the rites of the dead.

From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende

Related Words

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