ad-lib

Also found in: Thesaurus, Medical, Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.

Related to ad-lib: ad libitum feeding

ad-lib

(ăd′lĭb′)

v. ad-libbed, ad-lib·bing, ad-libs

v.tr.

To improvise and deliver extemporaneously: ad-lib a comic monologue.

v.intr.

To engage in improvisation, as during delivery of a speech.

n. (ăd′lĭb′)

Words, music, or actions uttered, performed, or carried out extemporaneously.

adj.

Uttered, performed, or carried out spontaneously: heckled the speaker with ad-lib comments.

ad-lib′ber n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

ad-lib

(ædˈlɪb)

vb, -libs, -libbing or -libbed

to improvise and deliver without preparation (a speech, musical performance, etc)

adj (ad lib when predicative)

improvised; impromptu

adv

1. without restraint; freely

2. (Classical Music) music short for ad libitum

an improvised performance, often humorous

[C18: short for Latin ad libitum, literally: according to pleasure]

ad-ˈlibber n

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

ad lib

(æd ˈlɪb, ˈæd)
n.

1. something improvised in speech, music, etc.

adv.

2. at one's pleasure; without restriction.

3. freely; as needed.

[1810–20; see ad libitum]

ad-lib

(ædˈlɪb, ˈæd-)

v. -libbed, -lib•bing,
adj. v.t.

1. to improvise all or part of (a speech, a piece of music, etc.).

v.i.

2. to act, speak, etc., without preparation.

adj.

3. impromptu; extemporaneous: ad-lib remarks.

[1915–20, Amer.]

ad-lib′ber, n.

ad lib.

ad libitum.

ad-lib

Past participle: ad-libbed
Gerund: ad-libbing

Imperative
ad-lib
ad-lib

Present
I ad-lib
you ad-lib
he/she/it ad-libs
we ad-lib
you ad-lib
they ad-lib

Preterite
I ad-libbed
you ad-libbed
he/she/it ad-libbed
we ad-libbed
you ad-libbed
they ad-libbed

Present Continuous
I am ad-libbing
you are ad-libbing
he/she/it is ad-libbing
we are ad-libbing
you are ad-libbing
they are ad-libbing

Present Perfect
I have ad-libbed
you have ad-libbed
he/she/it has ad-libbed
we have ad-libbed
you have ad-libbed
they have ad-libbed

Past Continuous
I was ad-libbing
you were ad-libbing
he/she/it was ad-libbing
we were ad-libbing
you were ad-libbing
they were ad-libbing

Past Perfect
I had ad-libbed
you had ad-libbed
he/she/it had ad-libbed
we had ad-libbed
you had ad-libbed
they had ad-libbed

Future
I will ad-lib
you will ad-lib
he/she/it will ad-lib
we will ad-lib
you will ad-lib
they will ad-lib

Future Perfect
I will have ad-libbed
you will have ad-libbed
he/she/it will have ad-libbed
we will have ad-libbed
you will have ad-libbed
they will have ad-libbed

Future Continuous
I will be ad-libbing
you will be ad-libbing
he/she/it will be ad-libbing
we will be ad-libbing
you will be ad-libbing
they will be ad-libbing

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been ad-libbing
you have been ad-libbing
he/she/it has been ad-libbing
we have been ad-libbing
you have been ad-libbing
they have been ad-libbing

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been ad-libbing
you will have been ad-libbing
he/she/it will have been ad-libbing
we will have been ad-libbing
you will have been ad-libbing
they will have been ad-libbing

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been ad-libbing
you had been ad-libbing
he/she/it had been ad-libbing
we had been ad-libbing
you had been ad-libbing
they had been ad-libbing

Conditional
I would ad-lib
you would ad-lib
he/she/it would ad-lib
we would ad-lib
you would ad-lib
they would ad-lib

Past Conditional
I would have ad-libbed
you would have ad-libbed
he/she/it would have ad-libbed
we would have ad-libbed
you would have ad-libbed
they would have ad-libbed

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Switch to new thesaurus

Noun	1.	ad-lib - remark made spontaneously without prior preparation; "his ad-libs got him in trouble with the politicians" comment, remark, input - a statement that expresses a personal opinion or belief or adds information; "from time to time she contributed a personal comment on his account"
Verb	1.	ad-lib - perform without preparation; "he extemporized a speech at the wedding" extemporise, improvise, improvize, extemporize perform, do, execute - carry out or perform an action; "John did the painting, the weeding, and he cleaned out the gutters"; "the skater executed a triple pirouette"; "she did a little dance"
Adj.	1.	ad-lib - with little or no preparation or forethought; "his ad-lib comments showed poor judgment"; "an extemporaneous piano recital"; "an extemporary lecture"; "an extempore skit"; "an impromptu speech"; "offhand excuses"; "trying to sound offhanded and reassuring"; "an off-the-cuff toast"; "a few unrehearsed comments" extemporaneous, extemporary, extempore, impromptu, offhand, offhanded, off-the-cuff, unrehearsed unprepared - without preparation; not prepared for; "unprepared remarks"; "the shock was unprepared"; "our treaty makers approached their immensely difficult problems unprepared"- R.E.Danielson
	2.	ad-lib - said or done without having been planned or written in advance; "he made a few ad-lib remarks" spontaneous, unwritten unscripted - not furnished with or using a script; "unrehearsed and unscript spot interviews"; "unscripted talk shows"

ad-lib

verb

1. improvise, speak off the cuff, vamp, busk, wing it (informal), extemporize, speak extemporaneously, speak impromptu He is rather disjointed when he ad-libs.

adjective

1. improvised, made up, impromptu, unprepared, off-the-cuff (informal), unrehearsed, extempore, off the top of your head, extemporaneous, extemporized Sometimes, being in an ad-lib situation is the best way.

noun improvisation, makeshift, impromptu comment, expedient Every time he got me out of trouble with a brilliant ad-lib.

adverb off the cuff, spontaneously, impromptu, extempore, off the top of your head (informal), without preparation, extemporaneously, without rehearsal I spoke from the pulpit ad-lib.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

ad-lib

verb

To compose or recite without preparation:

extemporize, fake, improvise, make up.

Idiom: wing it.

noun

Something improvised:

extemporization, impromptu, improvisation.

adjective

Spoken, performed, or composed with little or no preparation or forethought:

extemporaneous, extemporary, extempore, impromptu, improvised, offhand, snap, spur-of-the-moment, unrehearsed.

Informal: off-the-cuff.

Translations

ad-lib

adj attr, ad lib² adj pred → improvisiert

ad-lib

n → Improvisation f

vti → improvisieren

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

ad-lib

[ædˈlɪb]

1. vt & vi → improvvisare

2. n → improvvisazione f

3. adj → improvvisato/a, estemporaneo/a

4. adv (speak) → a piacere

Mentioned in ?

References in periodicals archive ?

DOWN: 1 Consign 2 Gladioli 3 Pacy 4 Farmyard 5 Feta 6 Ad-lib 8 Estate agent 13 Observed 14 Two-faced 15 Affairs 18 Feral 20 Leah 21 Tips.

PS150 Xword

Hull coach Lee Radford said: "There was some ad-lib footy with lots of guys getting in on the moves."

RUSSELL ADDS TO LEEDS WOES

He added: "As Sian and myself often ad-lib when filming, we thought we'd give it a go for an entire episode."

Car share laughs are for [...]

We have a few more pet lambs and have set up an automatic feeder that keeps milk warm and means that they have an ad-lib supply.

Newborn lambs a joy to behold; THE YORKSHIRE SHEPHERDESS

The former Coronation Street actor played up to every audience ad-lib and even threw in a few of his own, occasionally breaking character to join in with the risque commentary.

Warped musical is utterly timeless

CD #1 is a recording of her improve ad-lib style humor in an event in Bayfield, Wisconsin.

North By Northwest: Paula Poundstone Live!

The mum-of-two also used to ad-lib for Les Dawson and counted Ricky Tomlinson and Tommy Cooper among her friends.

Tributes paid to city actress Georgina Smith

Many of his stand-up routines are ad-lib and built around various subjects that he has thought of, but not planned a routine about.

PREVIEW

For once, underplaying his role beautifully, Nick (Clegg) electrified the audience with a brilliant ad-lib. Pointing to Westminster he declared "You too can be a contender".

Oh yes it is a Whitehall farce; FEEDBACK

THERE are few laughs in this dull sequel to 2011's comedy hit and it feels like it was made in the hope the actors would ad-lib in some humour.

Boss sequel lacks laughs; NOW SHOWING

NEW YORK -- Melissa Fumero, who plays Detective Amy Santiago on Fox's ''Brooklyn Nine-Nine,'' can remember the first time she had to ad-lib with co-star Andy Samberg.

Melissa Fumero goes from daytime to prime time

07 ( ANI ): "Transformers" mega-director Michael Bay fled the stage during a Samsung press conference in Las Vegas after he got tripped up by a malfunctioning teleprompter and was unable to ad-lib his way out.