Adjacent Words

Extemporize definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

EXTEM'PORIZE, v.i. To speak extempore; to speak without previous study or preparation. To extemporize well requires a ready mind well furnished with knowledge.
1. To discourse without notes or written composition.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

v
1: manage in a makeshift way; do with whatever is at hand; "after the hurricane destroyed our house, we had to improvise for weeks" [syn: improvise, extemporize]
2: perform without preparation; "he extemporized a speech at the wedding" [syn: improvise, improvize, ad-lib, extemporize, extemporise]

Merriam Webster's

verb (-rized; -rizing) Date: 1592 intransitive verb 1. to do something extemporaneously ; improvise; especially to speak extemporaneously 2. to get along in a makeshift manner transitive verb to compose, perform, or utter extemporaneously ; improvise <extemporized an after-dinner speech> • extemporizer noun

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v.tr. (also -ise) (also absol.) compose or produce (music, a speech, etc.) without preparation; improvise. Derivatives: extemporization n.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Extemporize Ex*tem"po*rize, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Extemporized; p. pr. & vb. n. Extemporizing.] To speak extempore; especially, to discourse without special preparation; to make an offhand address.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Extemporize Ex*tem"po*rize, v. t. To do, make, or utter extempore or off-hand; to prepare in great haste, under urgent necessity, or with scanty or unsuitable materials; as, to extemporize a dinner, a costume, etc. Themistocles . . . was of all men the best able to extemporize the right thing to be done. --Jowett (Thucyd. ). Pitt, of whom it was said that he could extemporize a Queen's speech --Lord Campbell.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(extemporizes, extemporizing, extemporized) Note: in BRIT, also use 'extemporise' If you extemporize, you speak, act, or perform something immediately, without rehearsing or preparing it beforehand. (FORMAL) He completely departed from the text and extemporized in a very energetic fashion. = improvise VERB: V

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

v. n. Speak extempore, improvise, speak without notes, speak without premeditation, make an off-hand speech or address.

Moby Thesaurus

ad-lib, be caught napping, be surprised, be taken unawares, be unprepared, cook up, dash off, do offhand, fake, go off half-cocked, have no plan, improvisate, improvise, jury-rig, knock off, lash up, make up, play by ear, scrap the plan, strike off, throw off, throw together, toss off, toss out, vamp, whip up, whomp up, wing it