ad-lib 1 of 3

adjective

Definition of ad-libnext
as in impromptu
made or done without previous thought or preparation not bad for an ad-lib comedy routine

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

ad-lib

2 of 3

noun

as in improvisation
something that is performed, made, or done without preparation you would never suspect that that stirring speech was an ad-lib

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

ad-lib

3 of 3

verb

ˈad-ˈlib How to pronounce ad-lib (audio)
as in to improvise
to perform, make, or do without preparation had to ad-lib constructing a piñata because she'd never actually seen it being done

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ad-lib
Adjective
Larkin doesn’t ad-lib too much. — Michael Russo, New York Times, 24 June 2026 At the same time, more ad-lib moments are often expected onstage, bound to keep viewers on the edge of their seats. — Sabrina Park, Harper's BAZAAR, 15 Mar. 2023
Verb
As seen in a video clip uploaded to the official Oscars YouTube channel, his ad-lib received applause from the audience in the room, but the Academy ultimately excluded the Chicago actor from presenting at the ceremony for several years. — Christopher Rudolph, PEOPLE, 6 Dec. 2025 Puzzled, Aggie climbs the stairs and — as Nile continues to ad-lib — finds Teddy, dead, suffocated with a bag, in Cooper’s room, which is decked out to match the live feed. — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 14 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ad-lib
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ad-lib
  1. impromptu
  2. improvisation
  3. improvise
  4. improvisational
  5. devise
  6. improvised
  7. concoct
  8. extemporize
Adjective
  • Spelling noted that Swank returned from an impromptu meeting with show producer Paul Waigner.
    — Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 30 July 2026
  • Hansard was also the organizer behind what became known as the Christmas Eve Busk, impromptu performances on Grafton Street in Dublin to raise money for the homeless community.
    — Katie Kindelan, ABC News, 29 July 2026
Definition of impromptu
Noun
  • Several generations of jam bands cite Little Feat as foundational, although almost none has come close to matching the group’s seamless stylistic range and command of percolating grooves and noodling-free improvisations.
    — George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Teaching nursery school during the day, Forti spent her evenings studying improvisation and composition at night at the Merce Cunningham Studio under musicologist Robert Ellis Dunn, who introduced her to the work of avant-garde composer John Cage.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 29 July 2026
Definition of improvisation
Verb
  • The first one was improvised, and that one was more produced.
    — Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Types of dance typically include belly dance, ceremonial dance, disco, soul, free or improvised, Latin, novelty or fad, social dance, street dance, swing dance, and folk dance.
    — Alexandra Frost, USA Today, 30 July 2026
Definition of improvise
Adjective
  • This reflects the improvisational attitude that Pan, who has released several albums, first developed as a genre-defying musician and composer.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 31 July 2026
  • Kiesler and his heirs envisioned architecture that would make the arts more available, provisional, improvisational, democratic, and participatory, more playful and less aloof.
    — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 29 July 2026
Definition of improvisational
Verb
  • So the study’s authors, led by Tuhin Chakrabarty, a professor of computer science at Stony Brook University, devised another check.
    — Will Oremus, The Atlantic, 27 July 2026
  • Sarah Sherman Samuel is known for devising furniture worthy of an art show, and the Lulu and Georgia Hamilton sideboard is no exception.
    — Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 24 July 2026
Definition of devise
Adjective
  • Likewise, the respite afforded by the twin hydration breaks has also reduced the need for improvised periods of gentlemanly repose, which in turn has lessened the demand for the chilly spray.
    — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 17 July 2026
  • Outside hospitals, temporary shelters and improvised morgues, relatives continue posting photographs and names of missing family members on social media, hoping someone might recognize them or provide information about their fate.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 4 July 2026
Definition of improvised
Verb
  • Like, for instance, Loughlin, who paid Singer $500,000 to concoct fake row team credentials — and even stage phony rowing photos — to get her two daughters into USC.
    — Benjamin Svetkey, HollywoodReporter, 5 Aug. 2026
  • The cocktail menu leans into the couple’s heritage with some Argentine staples, including the El Clásico of Fernet and Coke and El Diego, concocted with sweet vermouth, Coke and a splash of whiskey.
    — Rick West, Chicago Tribune, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of concoct
Verb
  • The future, instead, seems to belong to the teams and coaches who are willing to be a little more flexible and see their role as providing a platform on which their players might extemporize.
    — Rory Smith, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2023
  • Friends said he was talented and could extemporize about anything.
    — Jacques Kelly, Baltimore Sun, 24 Jan. 2023
Definition of extemporize

Browse Nearby Words

adjuvant
ad-lib
ad-libbed
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Cite this Entry

“Ad-lib.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ad-lib. Accessed 8 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on ad-lib

Nglish: Translation of ad-lib for Spanish Speakers

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