Standard Lemma guide

impromptu

adj · adv · noun · 8 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ɪmˈpɹɒmptju/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • US: /ɪmˈpɹɑmpt(j)u/
  • CMU ARPABET: IH2 M P R AA1 M P T UW0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Improvised; without prior preparation, planning or rehearsal.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • The party began with an impromptu rendition of 'Happy Birthday'.
  • an impromptu speech

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: extemporaneous, extempore, ad lib, unplanned

Antonyms: none provided

2

adv

Meaning 2

Extemporaneously; without prior preparation, planning, or rehearsal.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • happened impromptu
  • was done impromptu

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: ex tempore, extempore, ad lib

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A short musical composition for an informal occasion often with the character of improvisation and usually to be played solo.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: entertainment, lifestyle, music

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

Any composition, musical or otherwise, that is created on the spot without preparation.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: broadly

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adjective satellite

Meaning 5

with little or no preparation or forethought

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • 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

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: ad-lib, extemporaneous, extemporary, extempore, offhand, offhanded, off-the-cuff, unrehearsed

Antonyms: none provided

6

adverb

Meaning 6

without advance preparation

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he spoke ad lib

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: ad lib, ad libitum, spontaneously

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

an extemporaneous speech or remark

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a witty impromptu must not sound premeditated

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: address, speech

8

noun

Meaning 8

a short musical passage that seems to have been made spontaneously without advance preparation

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: passage, musical passage

History

Etymology

Borrowed from French impromptu.

Across languages

Translations

48 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: հանպատրաստից (hanpatrasticʻ) — improvised; without prior preparation, planning or rehearsal
  • Azerbaijani: ekspromt — improvised; without prior preparation, planning or rehearsal
  • Bulgarian: импровизиран (improviziran) — improvised; without prior preparation, planning or rehearsal
  • Chinese Mandarin: 即興(的) /即兴(的) — improvised; without prior preparation, planning or rehearsal
  • Chinese Mandarin: 臨場(的) /临场(的) — improvised; without prior preparation, planning or rehearsal
  • Finnish: improvisoitu — improvised; without prior preparation, planning or rehearsal
  • French: impromptu — improvised; without prior preparation, planning or rehearsal
  • Georgian: იმპროვიზებული (imṗrovizebuli) — improvised; without prior preparation, planning or rehearsal
  • Georgian: მოუმზადებელი (moumzadebeli) — improvised; without prior preparation, planning or rehearsal
  • German: improvisiert — improvised; without prior preparation, planning or rehearsal
  • Greek: αυτοσχέδιος (aftoschédios) — improvised; without prior preparation, planning or rehearsal
  • Greek: πρόχειρος (prócheiros) — improvised; without prior preparation, planning or rehearsal
  • Ancient Greek: αὐτοσχέδιος (autoskhédios) — improvised; without prior preparation, planning or rehearsal
  • Indonesian: impromptu — improvised; without prior preparation, planning or rehearsal
  • Italian: improvvisato — improvised; without prior preparation, planning or rehearsal
  • Italian: improvvisata — improvised; without prior preparation, planning or rehearsal
  • Japanese: 即席の (sokuseki no) — improvised; without prior preparation, planning or rehearsal
  • Māori: tito — improvised; without prior preparation, planning or rehearsal
  • Māori: tene — improvised; without prior preparation, planning or rehearsal
  • Māori: hanga noa — improvised; without prior preparation, planning or rehearsal
  • Persian: فیالبداهه (fe-l-bedâhe) — improvised; without prior preparation, planning or rehearsal
  • Polish: spontaniczny — improvised; without prior preparation, planning or rehearsal
  • Polish: improwizowany — improvised; without prior preparation, planning or rehearsal
  • Portuguese: improvisado — improvised; without prior preparation, planning or rehearsal
  • Russian: импровизи́рованный (improvizírovannyj) — improvised; without prior preparation, planning or rehearsal
  • Russian: спонта́нный (spontánnyj) — improvised; without prior preparation, planning or rehearsal
  • Russian: непроду́манный (neprodúmannyj) — improvised; without prior preparation, planning or rehearsal
  • Russian: произво́льный (proizvólʹnyj) — improvised; without prior preparation, planning or rehearsal
  • Russian: случа́йный (slučájnyj) — improvised; without prior preparation, planning or rehearsal
  • Spanish: impromptu — improvised; without prior preparation, planning or rehearsal
  • Swedish: improviserad — improvised; without prior preparation, planning or rehearsal
  • Turkish: doğaçsı — improvised; without prior preparation, planning or rehearsal
  • Turkish: doğaçlama — improvised; without prior preparation, planning or rehearsal
  • Turkish: hazırlıksız — improvised; without prior preparation, planning or rehearsal
  • Azerbaijani: ekspromt — short composition
  • Dutch: impromptu — short composition
  • Finnish: improvisaatio — short composition
  • Finnish: impromptu — short composition
  • German: Impromptu — short composition
  • Greek: αυτοσχεδιασμός (aftoschediasmós) — short composition
  • Portuguese: improviso — short composition
  • Russian: экспро́мт (eksprómt) — short composition
  • Russian: импровиза́ция (improvizácija) — short composition
  • Spanish: impromptu — short composition
  • Turkish: doğaç — short composition
  • Bulgarian: импровизация (improvizacija) — any composition, musical or otherwise, that is created on the spot without preparation
  • French: impromptu — any composition, musical or otherwise, that is created on the spot without preparation
  • Spanish: impromptu — any composition, musical or otherwise, that is created on the spot without preparation