improvise meaning

improvise means to create or perform without preparation.

improvise :

to create, to perform without planning

Verb

▪ She had to improvise a speech because the notes were lost.

▪ She made up a speech on the spot when the notes were missing.

▪ During the concert, the band decided to improvise a new song.

▪ During the show, the band chose to create a new song spontaneously.

paraphrasing

▪ create – to make something new

▪ perform – to present to an audience

▪ make up – to invent something

▪ act spontaneously – to perform without preparation

improvise

Pronunciation

improvise [ɪmˈprɒv.aɪz]

The stress is on the second syllable 'prov' and sounds like 'im-PROV-ize'.

Common phrases and grammar about improvise

improvise - Common meaning

Verb
to create, to perform without planning

Part of Speech Changes for "improvise"

▪ improvisation (noun) – creating or performing without preparation

▪ improvised (adjective) – made or done without being planned

Common Expressions with "improvise"

▪ improvise a speech – to create a speech without planning

▪ improvise a solution – to make up a solution on the spot

▪ improvise music – to perform music without pre-planning

▪ improvise equipment – to use available items as needed

Important examples of improvise in TOEIC

Vocabulary examples from the TOEIC test

In TOEIC vocabulary questions, improvise usually means to create something quickly without prior planning.

▪He had to improvise a plan during the meeting.
▪He made up a plan during the meeting.

Example of a confusing word: improve (to make better)

▪He had to improve a plan during the meeting.
▪He had to enhance a plan during the meeting.
"Improvise" means "to create or perform spontaneously or without preparation," and it is used correctly here to indicate the need to come up with a plan on the spot. "Improve," however, means "to make something better" and implies a process of enhancement rather than creation. The sentence "He had to improve a plan during the meeting" suggests he is refining an existing plan, which is not the intended meaning. Thus, "improvise" is the correct choice for expressing the idea of quick, unplanned creation.

Grammar examples from the TOEIC test

In TOEIC grammar questions, improvise is used as a verb that often requires an object to describe what is created or performed spontaneously.

▪They had to improvise their presentation when the slides failed.
▪They created their presentation on the spot when the slides failed.

improvise

Idioms and fixed expressions in TOEIC

improvise on stage

means to perform without a script

▪The actor had to improvise on stage when the script was missing.
▪The actor performed without a script when it was missing.

improvise a plan

to make a plan up quickly

▪When the main plan failed, they had to improvise a plan.
▪When the main plan failed, they had to make a quick plan.

Differences between similar words and improvise

improvise

,

ad-lib

differences

improvise means to create on the spot, while ad-lib often refers specifically to speaking spontaneously during a performance.

improvise
▪She had to improvise her speech when the notes were lost.
▪She had to speak without notes when the notes were lost.
ad-lib
▪She ad-libbed her speech when the notes were lost.
▪She spoke without preparation when the notes were lost.

improvise

,

make up – a similar meaning to improvise

differences

improvising is often for performances, while make up can be used in various contexts.

improvise
▪He had to improvise his speech when the notes were lost.
▪He invented his speech on the spot when the notes were lost.
make up – a similar meaning to improvise
▪He made up his speech on the spot when the notes were lost.
▪He invented his speech on the spot when the notes were lost.

Words with the same origin as improvise

The origin of improvise

improvise comes from Latin 'improvisare', meaning 'to provide without prior planning.'

Word structure

The word is composed of the prefix 'im-' and the root 'provid', so 'improvise' means 'to provide without prior planning.'

Words with the same origin

The root of improvise is 'provid'. Words with the same root include provide, provision, provident, and providence.

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