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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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
Ritchie’s process Multiple Gentlemen cast members have talked about Ritchie’s on-set process, which often calls on actors to learn new versions of scripts in the moment, or ad-lib to improve a scene. — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 3 Sep. 2026 But that moment, that is an ad-lib because the line was [supposed to be] very calm. — Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 13 Aug. 2026
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
  • Then Sean moves away and grows up to become a spy who, after wrapping up a mission involving smuggling a nuclear warhead for reasons unknown, decides to pay an impromptu visit to his tweenage buddies.
    — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The impromptu opening bar scene includes friends of Claire’s from her work, her parents and brother Caleb, flown in from Dubuque.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of impromptu
Noun
  • These releases were often filled with field recordings and improvisations, prioritizing the glimpse into the artist’s mind over the rigors of craft.
    — Daniel Bromfield, Pitchfork, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Yet musical improvisation remained a defining influence throughout his practice, which was unusual in its diversity of styles, mediums, and materials.
    — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of improvisation
Verb
  • Marina Warner Possessed of Alchemystic Powers Ithell Colquhoun improvised with Surrealist and occult divinatory techniques in her paintings, and also in her writing—and in this lies her true originality.
    — Conor Heffernan, The New York Review of Books, 3 Oct. 2026
  • The result is a more effective change with fewer rumors needing correction, fewer objections stalling adoption and fewer managers left to improvise for their teams.
    — John Radman, Forbes.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of improvise
Adjective
  • These findings suggest that the audience for conversations about the soul is not shrinking, but shifting away from organized religion and toward more personal, improvisational forms of seeking.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Last month, at the Earl Scruggs Music Festival in Western North Carolina, MGU rolled through an hour-long set of new material from Appalachian Smoke and intricate improvisational jams.
    — Garret K. Woodward, Rolling Stone, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of improvisational
Verb
  • Teams devised an unprecedented bit of spaceship surgery to replace the valve without draining the propellant and disassembling the spacecraft, steps that would have triggered a much longer delay.
    — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 1 Oct. 2026
  • This boutique-sized wellness retreat of 10 antique handmade Javanese wooden houses in Uluwatu was devised by owner Martha Brooke as a place to share many of the holistic methods and tools that helped her overcome cancer.
    — Kathryn Romeyn, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of devise
Adjective
  • The piece contends that the threat warrants advance legal planning rather than reliance on improvised responses after a disruption occurs.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2026
  • Comedian TaTa Sherise headlines 50 Worst Dates, an improvised comedy series, while Broadway veterans Kristine Covillo and Ben Davis star in ReelArc’s psychological thriller Zero Point.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of improvised
Verb
  • The White Sox concocted a creative playing style that blended elements of old-school small ball with home-run power.
    — Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Cast a spell and concoct a potion with these delightfully witchy nails.
    — Christina Perrier, InStyle, 28 Sep. 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 Oct. 2026.

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