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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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
  • LeBron James, the cover star for the Time100 Sports issue, later closed out the dinner portion of the evening with an impromptu speech.
    — Kristen Tauer, Footwear News, 17 July 2026
  • The neighbor returned minutes later with beers to share with the group, sparking a celebration that quickly turned into a genuine impromptu party.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 17 July 2026
Definition of impromptu
Noun
  • Apart from the setting, and some idea of a forward time shift, Nunez began writing the piece and left the rest to improvisation.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 July 2026
  • Cady had injected some narcotic into a Georgia peach to knock Natalie out ahead of his confrontation with Crystal on the houseboat, but Ray snooping around on the Bowdens’s behalf led to this deadly improvisation.
    — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 10 July 2026
Definition of improvisation
Verb
  • Could these poems have been improvised by singers drawing on a repertoire of formulae?
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 July 2026
  • The afternoon loosens into tapas at Tapeo and whatever the pastry chefs are improvising that week at Bubó.
    — Condé Nast Traveler, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 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
  • While many may remember the warrior Achilles from the Trojan War, Odysseus was the cunning strategist who devised the famous Trojan Horse plan to enter Troy.
    — Skyler Trepel, PEOPLE, 17 July 2026
  • Ten years on, after devising the victorious Trojan Horse gambit, Ulysses attempts to return to Ithaca and the pining Penelope, whose palace has been overrun with scheming suitors seeking her hand.
    — Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor, 16 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
  • Tran says the hairstyle was concocted with Liu's outfit in mind, not to mention her overall vibe.
    — Marci Robin, Allure, 16 July 2026
  • Similarly, the EastDiet hasn't been concocted by nutritionists in a lab; instead, it's been shaped by local, natural resources.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 15 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
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Ad-lib.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ad-lib. Accessed 21 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on ad-lib

Nglish: Translation of ad-lib for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of dog days

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
child-detective
Spot the Misspelled Word July 2026 Those little red underlines can't help you now...
See All