# winging

/ˈwɪŋɪŋ/ (US) · /wˈɪŋɪŋ/ (UK) · CEFR B2 · Verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/winging
Updated: 2026-10-19

## Definition

to do something without planning, making it up as you go. You use it when you speak or perform without preparation.

For teachers: to improvise or act without preparation, relying on spontaneity rather than a fixed plan. Most frequent in the collocation 'wing it'.

## Examples

- She is winging her speech without any notes.
- He forgot his slides, so he is winging the presentation and answering questions from memory.
- Although she had prepared for weeks, the power cut forced her into winging the final lecture with only a whiteboard and her memory.

## Usage notes

- Typically appears as 'wing it' or 'winging it'; intransitive in this idiomatic sense, with no direct object beyond 'it'.

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