Meaning & use
Ad-libs
Last updated
Improvises words or actions without preparation, especially during a performance or speech.
See it in a sentence
The comedian often ad-libs extra jokes based on the audience's reactions.
When the teleprompter failed, the anchor ad-libs the rest of the segment smoothly.
A note on using this word
Ad-lib comes from the Latin phrase 'ad libitum,' meaning 'at one's pleasure,' originally a musical direction allowing performers freedom of tempo or expression.
Words with a similar meaning
improvises
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
readsscripts
Another way to use it
2. noun
Unscripted words or actions improvised during a performance.
The actor's best line in the film was actually an ad-lib.
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