improvise
To make or do something on the spot without preparing.
improvise in a sentence
- When the props went missing, the actors improvised, using a mop as a horse.
- When the tent poles snapped, we had to improvise with branches and a skipping rope.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to improvise?
- Ainvent
- Bplan
- Cprepare
- Dpractise
Show the answer
A: invent. The other three mean the opposite of improvise.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to improvise?
- Acreate
- Bplan
- Cadapt
- Dinvent
Show the answer
B: plan. The other three mean nearly the same as improvise.
Words that mean something similar
invent, create, adapt
Words that mean the opposite
plan, prepare, practise
More words about thinking & learning
- infer: To work out something that has not been said directly.
- ingenious: Very clever and full of smart ideas.
- inquisitive: Always wanting to find things out.
- inscribe: To write or carve words onto something.
- instinct: A natural feeling that makes you act without thinking.
- intangible: Not able to be touched or held, but still real.
- interpret: To work out what something means.
- intrigue: To make someone very curious and interested.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test