to lib

Examples

• All

• When her notes went missing, she had to ad lib her entire presentation on the spot.

• The DJ is in a white dinner jacket and does a perfect Humphrey Bogart impression as he ad-libs his spiel between records.

  Fiction book (1999)

• The riders are practicing, so you just ad lib like it's the actual event.

  Parental Guidance (2012)

• And so then he ad libs in the I Have a Dream speech.

• I'm, I'm probably ad libbing a little bit here, but I can get the details.

• A surprised Berle replied, "Oh, we're going to ad lib?"

  Blog text (3)

• I was literally ad libbing true stories from my childhood.

• I'll ad-lib it.

  The China Syndrome (1979)

• He would go in without anything prepared... and his ass would ad-lib and toss the gags back at him every time.

  Naked Lunch (1991)

• Don't ad-lib the lines.

  Nothing in Common (1986)

Synonyms

I

to improvise

vsto lib

141 4.0

Do something without planning, using what you have

is used especially during a performance or speech rather than any situation

M

to make it up as one goes along

vsto lib

• Informal

11 6.6

Decide or think of things during a situation without planning ahead

is focused on spontaneous creation during a performance or speech specifically

I

to improv

vsto lib

• Informal

3 6.2

To perform without a script, making scenes or music on the spot

applies also to speech performances and other situations beyond acting or music

Idioms

A

ad lib

1 7.7

Says or does something without planning

Compounds

W

women's lib

• Archaic

3 4.6

A movement for equal rights and opportunities for women

G

gay lib

• Archaic

7.9

A movement that fights for the rights of people attracted to the same sex

How Spontaneous

to wing it

• Informal

28 6.1

to lib

• Informal

2 9.9

to prepare

∞ 1.0

to rehearse

131 3.5

Surface Forms

Etymology