spur-of-the-moment

[spur-uhv-thuh-moh-muhnt]

adjective

1. occurring or done without advance preparation or deliberation; extemporaneous; unplanned.

   a spur-of-the-moment decision.

Word History and Origins

Origin of spur-of-the-moment¹

First recorded in 1800–10

Example Sentences

Everything in that seemingly spur-of-the-moment scene would have had to have been carefully arranged, which is why it comes off as clumsily showy rather than truly delightful.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Beyond the open-ended questions, he saw how the techniques encouraged investigators to prepare for interviews, rather than relying on spur-of-the-moment intuition or tricks.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Liu, who lives in Manhattan, elaborated on why her library card, spur-of-the-moment theatergoing and riding her bicycle are essential to her well-being.

Read more on New York Times

Some are irked by the standardization of competitive breaking: Dancers strive to defy gravity and capture the music’s spirit in spur-of-the-moment sculptures carved from their muscles, bones and imagination.

Read more on Salon

She was, however, less comfortable with the spur-of-the-moment mission the group was undertaking.

Read more on Literature