extemporize

/ɪkˈstempəraɪz/ (bre, ipa) · /ɪkˈstempəraɪz/ (ame, ipa) · /ik-ˈstem-pə-ˌrīz/ (ame, mw)

extemporize — verb

  • extemporizepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • extemporizeshe / she / it
  • extemporizedpast simple
  • extemporizing-ing form

1. to give a talk, performance, or piece of music on the spot, inventing the words

1.動詞及物 / 不及物C1
釋義

to give a talk, performance, or piece of music on the spot, inventing the words or notes as you go rather than working them out beforehand.

例句

When the projector failed, Aaron extemporized a twenty-minute lecture on Roman roads.

extemporize + object (a talk) when planned material is unavailable

The jazz pianist Stefan loves to extemporize on familiar tunes during late-night sets.

extemporize + on + topic (music improvisation)

同義詞
  • improvise

    much more common; works for both speech and physical situations

  • ad-lib

    informal; usually short remarks added off-script during a performance

  • wing it

    very informal; covers any unprepared attempt

反義詞
  • rehearse

    to practise a planned performance in advance

  • prepare

    general antonym; to work something out beforehand

文法句型

extemporize + on/about + topic

extemporize + a speech/tune

用法筆記

Subject is usually a speaker, musician, or performer; the activity is communicative or artistic. Distinguish from sense 2, where the subject is coping with a practical shortage of materials or tools rather than performing.

常見錯誤

❌Arjun extemporized a sandwich from leftover bread.
✅Arjun improvised a sandwich from leftover bread.
💡sense 1 is about speech or performance; for makeshift physical activity, use 'improvise' or 'make do'.

2. to manage a practical task in a rough-and-ready way, using whatever objects or m

2.動詞不及物C2
釋義

to manage a practical task in a rough-and-ready way, using whatever objects or materials happen to be nearby because the proper ones are missing.

例句

With no tent poles in the car, Darius extemporized using bamboo from the forest.

extemporize + with available materials in a practical fix

The field surgeon had to extemporize with kitchen tools after the medical kit was lost.

同義詞
  • improvise

    much more frequent in everyday English for this meaning

  • make do

    phrasal; emphasises accepting less-than-ideal resources

  • cobble together

    informal; stresses the rough quality of the result

反義詞
  • plan

    to arrange properly in advance

  • equip

    to provide the proper tools beforehand

文法句型

extemporize + with + available items

用法筆記

Frequently follows a setback (broken equipment, lost supplies, surprise constraint). The intransitive use focuses on the act of coping; an object would shift the meaning toward sense 1.

常見錯誤

❌Sivan extemporized a song at the wedding.
✅Sivan extemporized at the piano during the wedding.
💡a song belongs to sense 1 (performance); sense 2 is about practical coping, not music.