improvised
/ˈɪm.prə.vaɪz/ (bre, ipa) · [ˈɪmprəvˌaɪzd] /ˈɪm.prə.vaɪz/ (ame, ipa)
improvised — verb
- improvisedpresent simple I / you / we / they
- improviseds3rd person singular
- improviseding-ing form
- improvisededpast simple
1. past tense and past participle of improvise: created something useful or necessa
past tense and past participle of improvise: created something useful or necessary right then, using whatever ideas or materials were available.
When the microphone died, Isabela improvised a short speech from memory.
improvised + speech in a sudden problem
Bao improvised a rain cover with plastic bags and two ropes.
improvised + object from available materials
After the stove broke, Vikram improvised dinner on a camping burner.
The nurse improvised a pillow from folded towels for the patient.
- devised
slightly more formal and often emphasizes thinking of a solution
- cobbled together
more informal and stresses making something from whatever was at hand
- put together
more neutral and less strongly tied to sudden necessity
文法句型
improvised + speech/tool/meal/shelter
improvised + object from + available materials
用法筆記
Often takes a direct object naming something needed straight away, such as a speech, cover, meal, or tool. Unlike sense 2, the focus is solving a practical need rather than making the performance itself in front of an audience.
2. past tense and past participle of improvise: performed without a fixed script or
past tense and past participle of improvise: performed without a fixed script or score, creating the words, notes, or actions while the show was happening.
During the workshop, Leo improvised a scene about a missed train.
improvised + scene in acting context
At the jazz club, Kenji improvised a solo over the drum break.
improvised + solo in music performance
When the cue cards vanished, Élise improvised her lines and kept smiling.
Baraka improvised on the piano while the dancers changed costumes backstage.
- ad-libbed
especially common for speech, acting, or comic lines
- extemporized
more formal and often used in speech or music writing
- freestyled
more specific to rap or other strongly rhythmic performance
文法句型
improvised + scene/line/solo
improvised on + instrument
用法筆記
Used in theatre, comedy, dance, and music settings. Unlike sense 1, the thing being made up is the performance itself, so common nouns nearby are scene, line, solo, or accompaniment.