seat-of-pants
No formal plan
Seat-of-pants describes doing something by instinct or improvisation rather than formal training or careful planning.
The image is of flying an aircraft by physical feel—sensing the plane's movement through the seat—rather than by instruments.
Usually hyphenated before a noun: a seat-of-pants decision, seat-of-pants navigation.
The related phrase by the seat of one's pants works the same way: He was flying by the seat of his pants.
Instinctive sense about something
- instinctInnate behavioral tendency
- improvisationSpontaneous, unplanned creation
- winging itProceeding without preparation
- ad-libUnscripted speech or remark
spontaneous · off-the-cuff · fly-by-wire · hunches · sixth sense · snap judgment · guesswork · eyeballing
Created without prior planning
- makeshiftTemporary, improvised substitute
- unpreparedLacking readiness beforehand
- last-minuteJust before deadline
- hastyExcessively quick, ill-considered
rushed · reactive · crisis mode · scrambling · cobbled · jury-rigged · stopgap · quick-and-dirty
Adventurous courage
- recklessCarelessly ignoring danger
- boldCourageous and daring
- precariousDangerously insecure
- white-knuckleCausing intense nervous tension
nerve-wracking · high-stakes · gamble · chance · uncertain · volatile · unpredictable · adrenaline
gut feeling
Instinctive sense about something
- instinctInnate behavioral tendency
- improvisationSpontaneous, unplanned creation
- winging itProceeding without preparation
ad-lib · spontaneous · off-the-cuff · fly-by-wire · hunches · sixth sense · snap judgment · guesswork · eyeballing · feel
improvised
Created without prior planning
- makeshiftTemporary, improvised substitute
- unpreparedLacking readiness beforehand
- last-minuteJust before deadline
hasty · rushed · reactive · crisis mode · scrambling · cobbled · jury-rigged · stopgap · quick-and-dirty · thrown together
daring
Adventurous courage
- recklessCarelessly ignoring danger
- boldCourageous and daring
- precariousDangerously insecure
white-knuckle · nerve-wracking · high-stakes · gamble · chance · uncertain · volatile · unpredictable · adrenaline · thrill
seat-of-pantsmethodical
Organized and deliberate
systematic · planned · by-the-book · calculated · deliberate
seat-of-pantsdata-driven
Informed by collected information
evidence-based · empirical · fact-based · informed · quantitative
seat, seats, seated, seating, seater, pants, pant, panted, panting