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
  • Intrigued by the extensive Australian wine list on board, one guest requested an impromptu tasting to fill the time.
    — Justin Meneguzzi, Travel + Leisure, 7 July 2026
  • There were no vendors hawking bootleg royal-wedding merch, no screaming lines of fans, not even that many impromptu sing-alongs (some were solicited by journalists looking for content).
    — Zach Schiffman, Curbed, 6 July 2026
Definition of impromptu
Noun
  • Elena Pinderhughes, Club Molson Elena Pinderhughes brought her unique blend of jazz, soul and improvisation to Club Molson, showcasing her talents as a flutist, vocalist and composer.
    — Joanne Shurvell, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
  • And its deft balance between free-wheeling improvisations and stop-on-a-dime dynamic precision, fire and finesse, never fails to impress.
    — George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 June 2026
Definition of improvisation
Verb
  • The chemistry between the two leads is astounding, with both men encouraged to improvise during filming to make their banter feel authentic.
    — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 3 July 2026
  • That mix of prep and improvising final things on set also worked well for other cast members.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 2 July 2026
Definition of improvise
Adjective
  • To survive and scale, cannabis businesses must urgently replace improvisational workarounds with standardized systems and real-time monitoring.
    — Peter Su, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
  • Over time, the practice evolved into an art form—bold, improvisational, and strikingly abstract.
    — jeanne malle, Air Mail, 4 July 2026
Definition of improvisational
Verb
  • In 2011, Aguirre devised a technique to motivate his Real Zaragoza players ahead of a league match against Real Madrid.
    — Colin Millar, New York Times, 4 July 2026
  • Scientists at the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM) have devised a technique to turn still-wet coffee grounds into high-grade biofuel in as little as 90 seconds.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 1 July 2026
Definition of devise
Adjective
  • 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
  • An improvised rescue operation is searching for survivors after Venezuela’s historic earthquakes.
    — Hannah Jocelyn, New Yorker, 1 July 2026
Definition of improvised
Verb
  • In The Beauty, Ryan Murphy and co-creator Matthew Hodgson have concocted a genre-hopping oddity that sounds unlikely to work.
    — Judy Berman, Time, 8 July 2026
  • Brazil’s team, meanwhile, decamped to Orlando, Florida, where Laitano affixed players with sweat-collection patches and analyzed their fluid and electrolyte loss during workouts to concoct a hydration regimen for each person.
    — Nancy Walecki, The Atlantic, 2 July 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 11 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on ad-lib

Nglish: Translation of ad-lib for Spanish Speakers

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