Improvise
verb
To create or perform something without preparation.
She had to improvise her speech because she lost her notes.
Often appears as...
- improvise a solution
- improvise a speech
verb
To make something from available materials.
They had to improvise a shelter from debris and branches.
Often appears as...
- improvise a shelter
- improvise a meal
verb
To think quickly and adapt to changing situations.
To survive in the wilderness, you need to be able to improvise.
Often appears as...
- improvise quickly
- improvise under pressure
verb
In music, to create a piece spontaneously without preparation.
Jazz musicians often improvise during performances.
Often appears as...
- improvise a solo
- improvise a tune
verb
To create or perform something without preparation.
She had to improvise her speech because she lost her notes.
Often appears as...
- improvise a solution
- improvise a speech
verb
To make something from available materials.
They had to improvise a shelter from debris and branches.
Often appears as...
- improvise a shelter
- improvise a meal
verb
To think quickly and adapt to changing situations.
To survive in the wilderness, you need to be able to improvise.
Often appears as...
- improvise quickly
- improvise under pressure
verb
In music, to create a piece spontaneously without preparation.
Jazz musicians often improvise during performances.
Often appears as...
- improvise a solo
- improvise a tune
Definition 1 of 4
Pro Tip 1/2Unexpected Situations
Use 'improvise' when you have to speak or react suddenly without time to prepare.
When the host didn't show, I had to improvise the entire presentation.
Pro Tip 2/2Speech Flexibility
You might need to 'improvise' if the audience's reaction is different from what you expected.
They looked bored, so he improvised some jokes into his talk.
Pro Tip 1/2Unexpected Situations
Use 'improvise' when you have to speak or react suddenly without time to prepare.
When the host didn't show, I had to improvise the entire presentation.
Pro Tip 2/2Speech Flexibility
You might need to 'improvise' if the audience's reaction is different from what you expected.
They looked bored, so he improvised some jokes into his talk.
Pro Tip 1/2Unexpected Situations
Use 'improvise' when you have to speak or react suddenly without time to prepare.
When the host didn't show, I had to improvise the entire presentation.
Pro Tip 2/2Speech Flexibility
You might need to 'improvise' if the audience's reaction is different from what you expected.
They looked bored, so he improvised some jokes into his talk.
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Video examples
Robots with "soul" PIPE Guy...
And method acting said you don't have to plan every muscle in your body; instead, you have to use your body to find the right movement. You have to use your sense memory to reconstruct the emotions and kind of think with your body to find the right expression -- improvise, play off your scene partner. And this came at the same time as I was reading about this trend in cognitive psychology,
Video examples
Alex Honnold Rappels...
There's a lot of abrasion on these wires, little bits of metal sticking up. They're just the sort of thing that would cut through rope really easily, especially if we start bouncing on this thing as we're descending. So I reckon if we put over the top of that. That is a very improvised rope protector.
Video examples
Why we have an emotional...
And this turned out to be a little more dramatic than we expected it to be, because none of the participants would even so much as strike these baby dinosaur robots, so we had to improvise a little, and at some point, we said,
Video examples
Our loss of wisdom -...
wisdom depends on experience and not just any experience you need the time to get to know the people that you're serving you need permission to be allowed to improvise to try new things occasionally to fail and to learn from
Video examples
Bjarke Ingels: 3...
frustrated that the world doesn't fit in with his or her ideas. Rather than revolution, we're much more interested in evolution, this idea that things gradually evolve by adapting and improvising to the changes of the world.
Video examples
Fly with the Jetman PIPE...
No, that's really two worlds. Civil aviation is something that we know very well. We have a hundred years of experience. And you can adapt really precisely. With that, I have to adapt to something new. That means improvise.
Video examples
Barry Schwartz: Our loss...
A wise person knows when and how to make the exception to every rule, as the janitors knew when to ignore the job duties in the service of other objectives. A wise person knows how to improvise,
Video examples
The impact of Simón...
his own improvised army grew stronger eventually he learned that the only way he was going to achieve his goals was to engage all the races he sought help from blacks Indians mulattoes mestizos
Video examples
Dresser crab camouflage...
it usually adorns its costume with sponges and seaweed as these are most often sir hand but given the chance it improvises a trait that helps the dresser crab maintain perfect camouflage
Video examples
Ken Goldberg: 4 lessons...
She knew when to trust her instincts. And so that project taught me another lesson about life, which is that, when in doubt, improvise.
Video examples
Robots with "soul" PIPE Guy...
And method acting said you don't have to plan every muscle in your body; instead, you have to use your body to find the right movement. You have to use your sense memory to reconstruct the emotions and kind of think with your body to find the right expression -- improvise, play off your scene partner. And this came at the same time as I was reading about this trend in cognitive psychology,
Video examples
Alex Honnold Rappels...
There's a lot of abrasion on these wires, little bits of metal sticking up. They're just the sort of thing that would cut through rope really easily, especially if we start bouncing on this thing as we're descending. So I reckon if we put over the top of that. That is a very improvised rope protector.
Video examples
Why we have an emotional...
And this turned out to be a little more dramatic than we expected it to be, because none of the participants would even so much as strike these baby dinosaur robots, so we had to improvise a little, and at some point, we said,
Video examples
Our loss of wisdom -...
wisdom depends on experience and not just any experience you need the time to get to know the people that you're serving you need permission to be allowed to improvise to try new things occasionally to fail and to learn from
Video examples
Bjarke Ingels: 3...
frustrated that the world doesn't fit in with his or her ideas. Rather than revolution, we're much more interested in evolution, this idea that things gradually evolve by adapting and improvising to the changes of the world.
Video examples
Fly with the Jetman PIPE...
No, that's really two worlds. Civil aviation is something that we know very well. We have a hundred years of experience. And you can adapt really precisely. With that, I have to adapt to something new. That means improvise.
Video examples
Barry Schwartz: Our loss...
A wise person knows when and how to make the exception to every rule, as the janitors knew when to ignore the job duties in the service of other objectives. A wise person knows how to improvise,
Video examples
The impact of Simón...
his own improvised army grew stronger eventually he learned that the only way he was going to achieve his goals was to engage all the races he sought help from blacks Indians mulattoes mestizos
Video examples
Dresser crab camouflage...
it usually adorns its costume with sponges and seaweed as these are most often sir hand but given the chance it improvises a trait that helps the dresser crab maintain perfect camouflage
Video examples
Ken Goldberg: 4 lessons...
She knew when to trust her instincts. And so that project taught me another lesson about life, which is that, when in doubt, improvise.
Example 1 of 10
Quote examples
Felicity Jones
English Actress
While you are improvising, you need to be prepared, and I like to have a sense of who the character is, what she likes to read, where she grew up, where we went to school, and what she has for breakfast, so that when I go to set, I'm free to explore.
Quote examples
Gina Prince-Bythewood
American Director
Improv is a very big thing for me. The thing with actors is I do not understand at all how they do what they do. I'm fascinated by it, and I have such a respect for it.
Quote examples
Steven Wright
American Comedian
Very rarely do I talk off the top of my head on stage. I'm not an improv guy. I'm a writer-guy who presents what he's written.
Quote examples
Zach Woods
American Actor
I think that if you're improvising on TV, it's a great way to help the dialogue between actors and writers.
Quote examples
John Ratzenberger
American Actor
I started improvising the Cliff character, based on someone I grew up with.
Quote examples
Paul Guilfoyle
American Actor
I sometimes improvise, and that's what I call 'massaging the character.
Quote examples
Rob Paulsen
American Actor
I love to improvise when it's appropriate and encouraged by a producer.
Quote examples
Neeraj Kabi
Indian Actor
I never improvise. I create the character and transform into it.
Quote examples
George Gershwin
American Composer
Life is a lot like jazz... it's best when you improvise.
Quote examples
Ben Schwartz
American Actor
Taking improv has helped every other aspect of my field.
Quote examples
Felicity Jones
English Actress
While you are improvising, you need to be prepared, and I like to have a sense of who the character is, what she likes to read, where she grew up, where we went to school, and what she has for breakfast, so that when I go to set, I'm free to explore.
Quote examples
Gina Prince-Bythewood
American Director
Improv is a very big thing for me. The thing with actors is I do not understand at all how they do what they do. I'm fascinated by it, and I have such a respect for it.
Quote examples
Steven Wright
American Comedian
Very rarely do I talk off the top of my head on stage. I'm not an improv guy. I'm a writer-guy who presents what he's written.
Quote examples
Zach Woods
American Actor
I think that if you're improvising on TV, it's a great way to help the dialogue between actors and writers.
Quote examples
John Ratzenberger
American Actor
I started improvising the Cliff character, based on someone I grew up with.
Quote examples
Paul Guilfoyle
American Actor
I sometimes improvise, and that's what I call 'massaging the character.
Quote examples
Rob Paulsen
American Actor
I love to improvise when it's appropriate and encouraged by a producer.
Quote examples
Neeraj Kabi
Indian Actor
I never improvise. I create the character and transform into it.
Quote examples
George Gershwin
American Composer
Life is a lot like jazz... it's best when you improvise.
Quote examples
Ben Schwartz
American Actor
Taking improv has helped every other aspect of my field.
Example 1 of 10
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