improvisation
improvisation — noun
- improvisationsingular
- improvisationsplural
1. A piece of music, a theatre scene, a speech, or any other creative work that som
A piece of music, a theatre scene, a speech, or any other creative work that someone produces in the moment, without having rehearsed or planned it beforehand.
At the jazz concert, Mateo played a piano improvisation the audience had never heard.
musical improvisation — common collocation with instrument
The drama teacher asked Greta to perform a short improvisation from a single word.
Daichi's poetry improvisation at the open-mic night moved many listeners to tears.
For their final exam, the theatre students each performed a three-minute improvisation without a script.
Amelia added several clever improvisations to her keynote when she noticed the crowd was engaged.
- ad-lib
usually refers to a spontaneous spoken remark in drama or comedy, not a full piece
- impromptu
a short, unrehearsed performance or speech; lighter in tone
- extemporization
formal synonym, common in academic writing about music and rhetoric
用法筆記
Frequently used with a musical instrument noun attached (piano improvisation, vocal improvisation) or a performance context (comedy improvisation, theatrical improvisation). Countable in this sense — each instance is a separate product.
常見錯誤
2. The act of creating a solution or dealing with a problem using whatever material
The act of creating a solution or dealing with a problem using whatever materials or resources are ready to hand, without having prepared an approach in advance.
A quick improvisation with yogurt saved the dessert when the chef ran out of cream.
improvisation with [ingredient/materials]
The campers used sticks and leaves in a clever improvisation after their tent ripped.
Folake fixed her broken zipper with a paper-clip improvisation moments before the meeting.
Niran stacked two chairs as an improvisation to reach the broken ceiling light.
The rescue team showed remarkable improvisation when they built a bridge from fallen branches.
- resourcefulness
focuses on the personal quality of finding solutions, rather than the act itself
- ingenuity
emphasises cleverness and inventiveness in solving problems
- planning
preparing a course of action in advance
- preparation
getting ready for a known situation ahead of time
用法筆記
Countable when referring to a specific makeshift object or instance (an improvisation, clever improvisations). Uncountable when referring to the general skill, process, or quality of improvising. Subject is often a person or team facing an unexpected problem; the materials used follow 'with' or 'from'.