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im·pro·vise
 improvise
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- pronunciation:
- Im
pr
vaIz
- parts of speech:
- transitive verb, intransitive verb
- features:
- Word Combinations (verb), Word History, Word Explorer, Word Parts
| part of speech: |
transitive verb |
| inflections: |
improvises, improvising, improvised |
| definition 1: |
to create or provide without preparation or practice, esp. in music, speech, or writing.
She didn't have time to prepare a speech, so she improvised one.He didn't have his music with him, so he just improvised something.- similar words:
- ad-lib
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| definition 2: |
to construct or compose from whatever materials are available or handy.
We improvised a shelter using fallen branches.- similar words:
- contrive, patch, rig
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| related words: |
compose, devise, invent |
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| part of speech: |
intransitive verb |
| definition 1: |
to meet the needs of the moment by creating, saying, or doing something in a spontaneous, unplanned way.
It was a tough question that she didn't have a ready-made answer for, so she had to improvise.- similar words:
- ad-lib, play it by ear
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| definition 2: |
to compose new music in the act of playing it.
They start out playing as the music is written, then they improvise.- similar words:
- ad-lib
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| related words: |
compose, jam, play |
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Improvise comes from improvviso, an Italian word that means "not prepared" or "not known in advance."
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