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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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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
  • There is always an excuse for an impromptu barbecue, either with meat or, even better, fresh seafood; almost every group of friends here has at least one good fisherman.
    — Chadner Navarro, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Sep. 2026
  • These impromptu scrapes have no communication value — unlike community scrapes.
    — Josh Honeycutt, Outdoor Life, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of impromptu
Noun
  • This improvisation of last-minute hope was truly heartbreaking.
    — Kurt Loder, Rolling Stone, 11 Sep. 2026
  • The tiebreak saw them trade mistakes, punctuated by a jaw-dropping point of lunging, acrobatic improvisation that Shelton won with a deft lob that sent Alcaraz sliding with his back to the net.
    — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of improvisation
Verb
  • And props are improvised so that pool noodles are used for jousting and an earbud case serves as an engagement ring.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026
  • To some extent, OpenAI’s new product simply formalizes something that people had been doing on their own, either by pasting text from one window to another, or by improvising personal ChatGPT-linking software.
    — Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of improvise
Adjective
  • The 28-year-old QB has succeeded when supported by consistent line play, yet also boasts improvisational skills that set him apart from many NFL starters.
    — Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Sep. 2026
  • Tsepetis’s improvisational approach to hospitality creates a home-away-from-home warmth that keeps many of his guests returning, year after year.
    — Noo Saro-Wiwa, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of improvisational
Verb
  • Davis’s Friday ruling means the government must now disclose who devised the fund’s structure, but the information will not necessarily be made available to the public.
    — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Engineers devised a lower-thrust trajectory that saved BepiColombo's mission but delayed its Mercury arrival from December 2025 to November 2026.
    — Josh Dinner, Space.com, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of devise
Adjective
  • As Yusuf helps Abu Khalil with his historical reenactment and builds his public profile through social media, the three become an improvised family.
    — Ed Meza, Variety, 14 Sep. 2026
  • The 1986 film Frauenträume (Women’s Dreams), for instance, includes flight experiments on rooftops, love acts with an improvised rocket, and the emergence of a third breast at the center of a torso.
    — Elisa R. Linn, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of improvised
Verb
  • Martha’s concocted plenty over the years, including her cider-bourbon cocktail made with apple cider, bourbon, lemon juice, ginger, and apple garnishes.
    — Wendy Rose Gould, Martha Stewart, 16 Sep. 2026
  • The young lady had specially flown in from New York and Alan had concocted a piece of simple blackmail.
    — Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 15 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 19 Sep. 2026.

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