Synonyms

improvised

American

[im-pruh-vahyzd] / ˈɪm prəˌvaɪzd /

adjective

made or said without previous preparation.

an improvised skit.

Synonyms:

unprepared, unrehearsed, unpremeditated

Related Words

See extemporaneous.

Other Word Forms

improvisedly adverb
unimprovised adjective
well-improvised adjective

Etymology

Origin of improvised

First recorded in 1830–40; improvise + -ed ²

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Schools that have been turned into shelters are full, and many are sleeping in improvised tents in public spaces and even in cars.

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026

These solutions were often tactical workarounds designed to patch critical issues in an improvised way.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 4, 2026

In Lindo’s final scene, with West Indian Archie debilitated from a stroke, the actor improvised, collapsing into Washington and urging him to exercise Archie’s paralyzed right arm.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 3, 2026

“Rick improvised a lot of his dialogue,” Duvall told Backstage magazine in 2001.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 16, 2026

The improvised bridge wobbled and sprang a bit, but it held.

From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023