ad-lib

verb

Meaning

Speak or perform without preparation or a written script.

The comedian decided to ad-lib his entire set based on audience suggestions.
She was so nervous that she couldn't ad-lib a single coherent sentence during the interview.

Synonyms: improvise, wing it, extemporize, speak off the cuff

verb

Pronunciation: /ˈæd.lɪb/

Speak or perform without preparation or a written script.

The comedian decided to ad-lib his entire set based on audience suggestions.
She was so nervous that she couldn't ad-lib a single coherent sentence during the interview.
The director encouraged the cast to ad-lib during the rehearsal to make the dialogue feel more natural.

ad-lib something (collocation): To improvise a specific thing (like a speech or line). — "He had to ad-lib his lines when the teleprompter broke."
ad-lib about something (prepositional phrase): To improvise while talking about a specific topic. — "The speaker began to ad-lib about his childhood when the slides stopped working."

Words with a similar meaning to ad-lib: