as in impromptu
made or done without previous thought or preparation
not bad for an ad-lib comedy routine
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in improvisation
something that is performed, made, or done without preparation
you would never suspect that that stirring speech was an ad-lib
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ad-lib
Sabrina Park, Harper's BAZAAR, 15 Mar. 2023
Will Dukes, Rolling Stone, 2 Sep. 2025
An ad-lib should be obnoxious — sometimes — but tasteful.
—Kyle Denis, Billboard, 14 July 2025
Being able to ad-lib was such a steep learning curve for me.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 6 Apr. 2025
During their jam session with Bad Bunny, the group was able to ad-lib an element unique to their hometown: the tale of Jacinto, a farmer who is dragged by his cow into a ocean blowhole, famously known as Jacinto’s pit cave.
—Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 18 Jan. 2025
First of all, Megan gets to ad-lib every night and comes up with really funny lines every single night.
—Juan A. Ramírez, Vogue, 22 Nov. 2024
But little did Pearson know, Key would one-up these references with an ad-lib.
—Aaron Couch, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Oct. 2024
According to Patton Oswalt, the cast would ad-lib jokes for Reynolds to say to Blade in Snipes’s absence.
—Jesse David Fox, Vulture, 2 Aug. 2024
Adjective
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
Hynes’s grateful curatorial instincts (emboldened by appearances from everyone from Daniel Caesar to an ad-lib-lilting Zadie Smith) only further the contemplative-exuberance aesthetic, making Essex Honey his most quietly explosive album.
—Will Dukes, Rolling Stone, 2 Sep. 2025
An ad-lib should be obnoxious — sometimes — but tasteful.
—Kyle Denis, Billboard, 14 July 2025
Being able to ad-lib was such a steep learning curve for me.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 6 Apr. 2025
During their jam session with Bad Bunny, the group was able to ad-lib an element unique to their hometown: the tale of Jacinto, a farmer who is dragged by his cow into a ocean blowhole, famously known as Jacinto’s pit cave.
—Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 18 Jan. 2025
First of all, Megan gets to ad-lib every night and comes up with really funny lines every single night.
—Juan A. Ramírez, Vogue, 22 Nov. 2024
But little did Pearson know, Key would one-up these references with an ad-lib.
—Aaron Couch, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Oct. 2024
According to Patton Oswalt, the cast would ad-lib jokes for Reynolds to say to Blade in Snipes’s absence.
—Jesse David Fox, Vulture, 2 Aug. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ad-lib
Adjective
-
One of Mark Consuelos' medical appointments turned into an impromptu celebrity meet-and-greet — all while the Live With Kelly & Mark cohost and All My Children actor was in his underwear.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 Sep. 2025
-
What begins as a series of transactions between two consenting adults blossoms into a romance that ends with them tying the knot on an impromptu trip to Las Vegas.—
Zach Dennis,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The improvisation is shaped by the energy of the audience.—
Anna Haines,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Joan Laporta’s presidency has been characterised by improvisation and short-term calls, which often just kick problems further down the road.—
Pol Ballus,
New York Times,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The choice to improvise classical music is also strategic.—
Anna Haines,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
-
It was basically all improvised.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Lucian’s financial provisions were sporadic, and Coverley’s life became improvisational.—
Rebecca Mead,
New Yorker,
8 Sep. 2025
-
But the Grateful Dead were an improvisational band.—
Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
30 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Laws governing the use of AI should be devised in a Goldilocks manner.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
-
While creatives have historically devised and illustrated their ideas, using tech tools like Photoshop to fine-tune them, the script appears to have flipped — with AI starting the process and humans perfecting the final product.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The improvised nature of the production was born in part out of practical necessity.—
Christopher Vourlias,
Variety,
6 Sep. 2025
-
One person lies in the street, his head cracked open in a pool of blood, while a boy is carried away on an improvised stretcher.—
Mahmoud Atef,
CNN Money,
30 Aug. 2025
Verb
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To solve this problem, materials scientists at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore have concocted a new sunscreen recipe that spares the ocean’s vital microorganisms.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
4 Sep. 2025
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Not only is the kitchen fully on display but a separate alcove is given over to his highly technical lab, a play space dedicated to fermentation, aging, preserving and otherwise concocting.—
Ann Abel,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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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
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Friends said he was talented and could extemporize about anything.—
Jacques Kelly,
Baltimore Sun,
24 Jan. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Ad-lib.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ad-lib. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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