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
Between the ad-libs to start the cut and rapping over drill 808s mixed with Jersey club, Cardi appears to be taking a page out of the Ice Spice playbook. — Michael Saponara, Billboard, 24 Sep. 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. fake
Adjective
  • Arepas and coffee anchor impromptu support circles, as grieving customers cling to fragile hope for the missing.
    — Melody Xu, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026
  • An impromptu blind date with a handsome rapist ends with Esther punching him square in the nose, his blood gushing through her fingers.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 July 2026
Definition of impromptu
Noun
  • But improvisation is a good word because a jazz player can be incredibly precise, leave nothing to chance and yet be totally free to improvise.
    — Y-Jean Mun-Delsalle, Forbes.com, 1 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
  • Leigh is known for making films in a collaborative, improvisational process with his performers and has stayed close with O’Flynn through the years.
    — Josef Adalian, Vulture, 29 June 2026
  • The 34th annual edition of this popular festival, which focuses on improvisational, funk, roots and various styles of jam band music, takes place at the Nevada County Fairgrounds in Grass Valley.
    — Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 25 June 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
  • 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
  • In 1949, a Nebraska plumbing contractor named Steve Henson was working in Anchorage, Alaska and concocted a salad dressing out of buttermilk, mayonnaise, and herbs to help feed his crew on remote job sites.
    — Scott Simon, NPR, 27 June 2026
Definition of concoct
Verb
  • Eight pages later, Leucippe has to fake her own beheading to escape from pirates.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 June 2026
  • Huskins Quinn’s case gained national attention after Vallejo police wrongly accused her of faking her disappearance.
    — Naomi Taxay, Sacbee.com, 30 June 2026
Definition of fake

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 7 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of ad-lib for Spanish Speakers

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