winging it
/ˈwɪŋɪŋ ɪt/ · wing·ing·it
noun
- The act of improvising or doing something without prior preparation. Her presentation was a classic case of winging it, yet it still impressed the audience.
verb
- To improvise or perform without preparation. He had to wing it during the interview because he hadn't studied the questions.
Synonyms
improvisead‑libmake it upgo with the flowspontaneouslyspur‑of‑the‑momentfly by the seat of one's pantsmake it up on the spot
Antonyms
Did you know? The phrase "wing it" was famously used by comedian and talk‑show host David Letterman in the 1980s to describe his spontaneous monologues, cementing the idiom in popular culture.