improv

adjective

im·​prov ˈim-ˌpräv How to pronounce improv (audio)
Synonyms of improvnext
: of, relating to, or being improvisation and especially an improvised comedy routine
improv noun

Examples of improv in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The Barry actor recalled the late comedian's improv skills. Daysia Tolentino, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Dec. 2025 Yang is a Smoky Hill High School graduate and has credited his high school improv teacher Adrian Holguin for his interest in comedy, having performed in the Colorado improv group Spontaneous Combustion. Jami Ganz, Denver Post, 19 Dec. 2025 So yeah, there was a real great mix between improv people and rock & roll. Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 16 Dec. 2025 There’s an improv-exercise quality to the premise, one that presupposes that adding more factors — a wacky aunt played by Jamie Lee Curtis, a weird brother played by Spike Fearn; Kumail Nanjiani is in the mix too — will somehow build out a more robust universe. Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 10 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for improv

Word History

Etymology

short for improvisation

First Known Use

1978, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of improv was in 1978

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Improv.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/improv. Accessed 5 Jan. 2026.

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