by ear

ADJECTIVE

extemporaneous

Synonyms

WEAK

ad hoc ad-lib automatic autoschediastic casual expedient extemporary extempore fake free immediate impromptu improv improvisatory improviso informal jamming made-up makeshift offhand on impulse on-the-spot snap spontaneous spur-of-the-moment toss off toss out unplanned unpremeditated unprepared unrehearsed unstudied winging it

Antonyms

WEAK

deliberate planned premeditated prepared rehearsed

ADJECTIVE

extemporaneous/extemporary

Synonyms

WEAK

ad hoc ad lib at first glance automatic casual expedient extempore free immediate impromptu improv improvisatory improviso informal jamming made-up makeshift off the cuff off the top of head offhand on impulse on-the-spot snap spontaneous spur-of-the-moment taking for ride thought out loud tossed off tossed out unplanned unpremeditated unprepared unstudied winging it

Antonyms

WEAK

planned prepared read rehearsed written

ADJECTIVE

off-the-cuff

Synonyms

WEAK

ad hoc ad-lib automatic autoschediastic casual expedient extemporary extempore fake free immediate impromptu improv improvisatory improvised improviso informal jamming made-up makeshift offhand on impulse on-the-spot snap spontaneous spur-of-the-moment toss off toss out unplanned unpremeditated unprepared unrehearsed unstudied winging it

ADJECTIVE

spur-of-the-moment

Synonyms

WEAK

ad hoc ad-lib automatic autoschediastic casual expedient extemporary extempore fake free immediate impromptu improv improvisatory improvised improviso informal jamming made-up makeshift offhand on impulse on-the-spot snap spontaneous toss off toss out unplanned unpremeditated unprepared unrehearsed unstudied winging it

ADVERB

off the cuff

Synonyms

WEAK

ad-lib extemporaneously impromptu improv improvised makeshift off the hip off the top of one's head offhand unrehearsed

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.

"So I'm just kind of playing it by ear."

From Barron's • May 29, 2026

All of which might suggest the cosmic stage manager also likes playing a bit by ear.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 21, 2025

She does not "read" music – although she is learning music braille – and does it all by ear.

From BBC • May 16, 2025

She started playing piano by ear when she was 4 and before long was studying the work of Bach, Beethoven, Chopin and Schumann.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 24, 2025

His job at the cathedral in Arezzo was to train the young choristers, and he’d calculated that teaching them the whole of the Church’s plainsong repertoire by ear, parrot-fashion, would take over ten years.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall

by ear

Example Sentences

Related Words