ad-lib
ad-lib — adverb
1. said or done at the moment of speaking or performing, without any advance prepar
said or done at the moment of speaking or performing, without any advance preparation or rehearsal.
During the Q&A session, Aaron answered several tough questions ad-lib and won over the crowd.
adverb modifying verb of speaking: answer/speak/respond ad-lib
When the teleprompter broke, the host told jokes ad-lib for ten minutes until the show resumed.
Camila delivered her entire thank-you speech ad-lib without glancing at a single note card.
The actors performed the final scene ad-lib after their script pages blew off the stage.
Nellie sang the national anthem ad-lib when the recorded backing track failed to play.
- impromptu
more formal; often used as an adjective or adverb without a hyphen
- off the cuff
idiomatic and slightly informal; suggests a casual style
- extemporaneously
very formal; common in academic or legal writing
- from a script
describes reading prepared material
- by the book
suggests following rules or instructions exactly
用法筆記
Frequently appears after verbs of speaking or performing (answer, speak, deliver, play, sing) to indicate the manner of the action.
常見錯誤
2. played or sung according to the performer's own artistic choices, freely departi
played or sung according to the performer's own artistic choices, freely departing from the written notes or rhythms.
The jazz trumpeter played the bridge ad-lib, surprising the band with unexpected notes.
music register: play/sing ad-lib in jazz performance
The sheet music instructed the pianist to perform ad-lib for the next eight measures.
Gita sang the aria ad-lib, adding delicate flourishes that were not in the original score.
In Baroque music, soloists often perform the cadenza ad-lib to display their technical skill.
用法筆記
Common as a musical notation in sheet music, particularly in jazz, Baroque, and Romantic-era classical works. Distinguish from sense 1 (UNPLANNED), which is about speaking generally — this sense is restricted to musical performance.
常見錯誤
3. allowed to be performed on whichever instrument happens to be available, without
allowed to be performed on whichever instrument happens to be available, without requiring a specific one.
The conductor told the woodwind players that the clarinet part could be taken ad-lib by any section member.
music notation: part may be taken/performed ad-lib
The score marked the violin solo ad-lib, so the flautist played it when no violinist was present.
Feng arranged the piece so the second horn part could be performed ad-lib on any brass instrument.
The score marked the flute part ad-lib, so a cellist played it for the school concert.
- optional
simpler and more general; not specific to music
- as available
descriptive phrase used in performance notes
用法筆記
This sense appears almost exclusively in written musical scores and performance instructions. It tells the performer that the instrument is not fixed — unlike sense 2 (MUSICAL FREEDOM), which is about how to play, not which instrument to use.
ad-lib — verb
- ad-libpresent simple I / you / we / they
- ad-libs3rd person singular
- ad-libbing-ing form
- ad-libbedpast simple
1. to say something or give a performance by creating the words or material on the
to say something or give a performance by creating the words or material on the spot, without any advance planning.
When the microphone stopped working, Jin ad-libbed a funny story that kept the audience entertained.
transitive: ad-lib + object (speech/story/remark)
The actor forgot his lines entirely and had to ad-lib the rest of the scene with his co-star.
Kasia ad-libbed a short wedding poem after noticing the best man was too nervous to speak.
Jazz musicians often ad-lib their solos, building fresh melodies from the underlying chord changes.
Tariq ad-libbed an answer when the reporter asked a question he had not expected at the press conference.
- improvise
more general; can apply to any creative or practical situation
- wing it
informal; suggests doing something without preparation in a casual way
- make it up as you go
idiomatic and conversational; longer phrase
文法句型
ad-lib + noun phrase
ad-lib (no object)
用法筆記
Frequently used in performance contexts (comedy, music, theatre, public speaking). The object is typically something spoken or performed: a speech, a line, a joke, a solo, an answer.
常見錯誤
ad-lib — adjective
1. created, spoken, or performed at that very moment, with no rehearsal or advance
created, spoken, or performed at that very moment, with no rehearsal or advance writing of any kind.
The comedian's ad-lib remark about the broken air conditioner drew the loudest laugh of the evening.
attributive use: ad-lib + noun (remark/speech/dialogue)
Henrik gave an ad-lib speech at the ceremony after the main speaker missed his connecting flight.
The ad-lib dialogue between the two actors felt far more natural than the carefully scripted version.
Aunt Rosa's ad-lib toast brought tears to half the guests at the family reunion dinner.
Luca's ad-lib introduction of the band was so charming that the audience clapped before a single song.
- impromptu
very close in meaning; also suggests spontaneity
- extemporaneous
more formal; often used in public speaking
- unrehearsed
emphasises the lack of practice rather than planning
- offhand
suggests a casual or even careless tone
用法筆記
Used before a noun (attributive position) to describe something that was not written or planned in advance. Unlike the adverb sense, which modifies the verb, this sense modifies the noun directly: an ad-lib speech, an ad-lib remark, ad-lib dialogue.