Meaning & use
improvise
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Meanings
verbtransitive or intransitive
To do or make something without planning, using whatever is available at the moment.
Grammar: Can be used with an object (improvise a meal) or without (we had to improvise).
Patterns
- improvise something
- improvise with something
- have to improvise
When the power went out, we had to improvise with candles.
She improvised a shelter from branches and leaves.
The chef had no recipe, so he improvised a delicious sauce.
verbtransitive or intransitive
To perform music, drama, or comedy by inventing it as you go, without preparation.
Grammar: Often used in performing arts: improvise a solo, or just 'improvise' on stage.
Patterns
- improvise a solo
- improvise on stage
- improvise music
The jazz pianist improvised a beautiful solo.
The actors were told to improvise the entire scene.
He can improvise on the guitar for hours.
Word forms
| third person singular | improvises |
|---|---|
| past tense | improvised |
| past participle | improvised |
| -ing form | improvising |
Common combinations
- improvise a solution
- We had to improvise a solution when the equipment failed.
- improvise on the spot
- The speaker had to improvise on the spot when she lost her notes.
- improvise a meal
- With only a few ingredients, he improvised a meal.
- improvise with what you have
- In an emergency, you learn to improvise with what you have.
Synonyms and how they differ
- ad-lib
- Ad-lib is often used for speaking or performing without preparation, while improvise is broader.
- invent
- Invent means to create something new, often with planning; improvise implies doing it spontaneously.
- make do
- Make do means to manage with what is available, but it doesn't imply creating something new.
Opposites
Word family
- improvisation noun
- The act of improvising, or something that is improvised.
- improvised adjective
- Made or done without preparation.
- improviser noun
- A person who improvises, especially a performer.
Commonly confused: improvise or improve?
improvise vs improve
Improve means to make better; improvise means to do something without preparation. They sound similar but are unrelated.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'improvise' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Improvise' means to do something without preparation, so 'He improvised a speech' is correct. Option An is wrong because 'improvise' doesn't take 'to' in that way, C has incorrect tense, and D uses an inappropriate preposition.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “improvise”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.