impromptu
Americanadjective
-
made or done without previous preparation.
an impromptu address to the unexpected crowds.
-
suddenly or hastily prepared, made, etc..
an impromptu dinner.
-
improvised; having the character of an improvisation.
adverb
noun
-
something impromptu; an impromptu speech, musical composition, performance, etc.
-
a character piece for piano common in the 19th century and having, despite its title, a clear-cut form.
adjective
-
unrehearsed; spontaneous; extempore
-
produced or done without care or planning; improvised
adverb
noun
-
something that is impromptu
-
a short piece of instrumental music, sometimes improvisatory in character
Synonym Usage
See extemporaneous.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of impromptu
First recorded in 1660–70; from French, from Latin in promptū “in readiness”; see in, prompt
Explanation
Some of the best kinds of parties are impromptu ones, when you decide at the last minute to get together. The adjective impromptu describes things done or said without previous thought or preparation. Impromptu is also used as an adverb: Most people are not able to speak impromptu in front of an audience. This word was borrowed from French and ultimately derives from the Latin in prōmptū ("at hand, in readiness") from in ("in") plus a form of prōmptus ("readiness"). As you can guess from the spelling, the adjective and verb prompt are related to impromptu; they are from the same Latin verb, prōmere, "to bring forth."
Vocabulary lists containing impromptu
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Dear Martin
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The booming rock ballad Don't Look Back in Anger also took on a greater significance after it was sung, impromptu, at a vigil for those who lost their lives in the 2017 Manchester Arena attack.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
After he grounded out in his final at-bat, Freeman enveloped him in an impromptu bear hug.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
People don’t need approval to host these impromptu gatherings, said Dash Stolarz, director of public affairs at the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
Pentagon briefings on a president’s military options in a conflict aren’t unusual, with Trump routinely holding formal and impromptu meetings on Iran.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026
Those afternoons had the feel of impromptu dates.
From "Class Matters" by The New York Times
For the first half, he joined three otherworldly impromptus — Drei Klavierstücke, Opus 946 — written in Schubert’s last months with the Third Sonata by the neglected Soviet composer Dmitri Kabalevsky.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 29, 2025
For the occasion Mr. Lubimov looked at the forward end of the fortepiano repertory, beginning and ending with late Beethoven sonatas and offering a Glinka rarity and a pair of Schubert impromptus between them.
From New York Times ● Mar. 28, 2012
Chopin's four impromptus, often dismissed as salon pieces and rarely played as a group, completed an uncommonly interesting programme.
From The Guardian ● Dec. 3, 2010
Mr. Kissin performs four polonaises and four impromptus with his customary crystalline technique, singing tone and generous rubato.
From New York Times ● May 27, 2010
M. Fouquet's friends had transported thither, some their actors and their dresses, others their troops of sculptors and artists; not forgetting others with their ready-mended pens—floods of impromptus were contemplated.
From The Vicomte de Bragelonne Or Ten Years Later being the completion of "The Three Musketeers" And "Twenty Years After" by Dumas père, Alexandre
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.