Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense dances, present participle dancing, past tense, past participle danced
1. verb
When you dance, you move your body and feet in a way which follows a rhythm, usually in time to music.
Polly had never learned to dance. [VERB]
I like to dance to the music on the radio. [VERB + to]
Synonyms: prance, rock, trip, swing More Synonyms of dance
2. countable noun
A dance is a particular series of graceful movements of your body and feet, which you usually do in time to music.
Sometimes the people doing this dance hold brightly colored scarves.
She describes the tango as a very sexy dance.
3. verb
When you dancewith someone, the two of you take part in a dance together, as partners. You can also say that two people dance.
It's a terrible thing when nobody wants to dance with you. [VERB + with]
Shall we dance? [VERB]
He asked her to dance. [VERB]
Dance is also a noun.
Come and have a dance with me.
4. countable noun
A dance is a social event where people dance with each other.
She often went to parties and dances at Littlecote.
...the school dance.
Synonyms: ball, social, hop [informal], disco More Synonyms of dance
5. uncountable noun
Dance is the activity of performing dances, as a public entertainment or an art form.
She loves dance, drama and music.
The story is told through dance.
...dance classes.
6. verb
If you dance a particular kind of dance, you do it or perform it.
Then we put the music on, and we all danced the Charleston. [VERB noun]
They will dance two performances of Ashton's 'Romeo and Juliet'. [VERB noun]
7. verb
If you dance somewhere, you move there lightly and quickly, usually because you are happy or excited.
[literary]
He danced off down the road. [VERB adverb/preposition]
Amy went and kissed him, and then danced out of his reach. [VERB adverb/preposition]
Synonyms: caper, trip, spring, jump More Synonyms of dance
8. verb
If you say that something dances, you mean that it moves about, or seems to move about, lightly and quickly.
[literary]
Light danced on the surface of the water. [VERB adverb/preposition]
She read it slowly, but the words danced before her eyes. [VERB adverb/preposition]
9.
See to lead someone a merry dance
10. to dance to someone's tune
11. to make a song and dance about
More Synonyms of dance
dance in British English
(dɑːns)
verb
1. (intransitive)
to move the feet and body rhythmically, esp in time to music
2. (transitive)
to perform (a particular dance)
3. (intransitive)
to skip or leap, as in joy, etc
4.
to move or cause to move in a light rhythmic way
5. dance attendance on someone
noun
6.
a series of rhythmic steps and movements, usually in time to music
▶ Related adjective: Terpsichorean
7.
an act of dancing
8.
a.
a social meeting arranged for dancing; ball
b.
(as modifier)
a dance hall
9.
a piece of music in the rhythm of a particular dance form, such as a waltz
10. short for dance music (sense 2)
11.
dancelike movements made by some insects and birds, esp as part of a behaviour pattern
12. lead someone a dance
Derived forms
danceable (ˈdanceable)
adjective
dancer (ˈdancer)
noun
dancing (ˈdancing)
noun, adjective
Word origin
C13: from Old French dancier
dance in American English
(dæns; dɑns)
verb intransitiveWord forms: danced or ˈdancing
1.
to move the body and feet in rhythm, ordinarily to music
2.
to move lightly and gaily; caper
3.
to bob up and down
4.
to be stirred into rapid movement, as leaves in a wind
verb transitive
5.
to take part in or perform (a dance)
6.
a.
to cause to dance
b.
to cause to move lightly, bob up and down, etc.
noun
7.
rhythmic movement of the body and feet, ordinarily to music
8.
a particular kind of dance, as the waltz, tango, etc.
9.
the art of dancing, esp. as performed in ballet or modern dance
10.
a.
a party to which people come to dance
b.
one round of dancing at such a party
11.
a piece of music for dancing
12.
rapid, lively movement
Idioms:
dance attendance on
dance to another tune
Derived forms
danceable (ˈdanceable)
adjective
dancer (ˈdancer)
noun
Word origin
ME dauncen < OFr danser < ? Frank *dintjan, to tremble, move back and forth
More idioms containing
dance
lead someone a merry dance
make a song and dance about something
dance to someone's tune
Examples of 'dance' in a sentence
dance
The courtyard stayed packed with a few hundred people salsa dancing all night.
The Sun (2016)
And they were performing a courtship dance.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
At least this person had realised he was on a dance show.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
No need to fork out for brands that make a song and dance about it.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Why is the importance of dance music sometimes ignored in music history?
The Sun (2016)
For the most part the audience obeyed, dancing as much as space would allow.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Think of the dance moves!
The Sun (2016)
This dress moves in all the right places, so you can shake your thing on the dance floor all night long.
The Sun (2016)
All these performers have been nurtured by the network of part-time singing, acting and dancing classes that spread across the country.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Those were my first steps towards the art of dance.
Carlos Acosta No Way Home: A Cuban Dancer's Tale (2007)
The first dance is often the hardest thing to watch.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Two people dancing seemed to be trying to mean something.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
There are ten of them and they each performed their own special dance move.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Hope is right below wishful thinking and right above performing a rain dance.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
You have to put a little more dancing into a dance show.
The Sun (2011)
With very slightly too much dancing tagged on.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
You end up dancing all the time.
Christianity Today (2000)
It makes me wonder how much they actually know about dancing in the first place.
The Sun (2015)
Part of dancing is you have to step into the character of the dance.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Which was hard because my aunt ran a dancing school and she was often not there.
Stanko, Elizabeth Everyday Violence (1990)
What are the best and worst things about dancing?
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
The absence of synths was a reminder of an era when only dance acts required them.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The smooth movers usually have to dance with clumsy celebrities.
The Sun (2008)
To my surprise he called me over and asked me to dance to the piece they were playing.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Plus the emerging dance music scene.
The Sun (2011)
He does not dance in public.
The Sun (2012)
The newlyweds surprised guests with two first dances, having taken lessons.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
What about the music group or drama and dance group, if you have one?
Aiken, Nick Working with Teenagers (1994)
You're on the right track with all that social dancing and walking you do.
The Sun (2015)
Quotations
There are many kinds of dances, but all those requiring the participation of the twosexes have two characteristics in common; they are conspicuously innocent, and warmly loved by the viciousAmbrose BierceThe Devil's Dictionary
Come, knit hands, and beat the ground, In a light fantastic roundJohn MiltonComus
Dancing is the loftiest, the most moving, the most beautiful of the arts, because it is no mere translation or abstraction from life; it is life itselfHavelock EllisThe Dance of Life
On with the dance! Let joy be unconfined; No sleep till morn, when Youth and Pleasure meet To chase the glowing hours with flying feetLord ByronChilde Harold's Pilgrimage
Word lists with
dance
Types of entertainment
In other languages
dance
British English: dance /dɑːns/ NOUN
A dance is a series of steps and rhythmic movements which you do to music. It is also a piece of music which people can dance to.
The next dance was a waltz.
American English: dance
Arabic: رَقْصَة
Brazilian Portuguese: dança
Chinese: 舞蹈
Croatian: ples
Czech: tanec
Danish: dans
Dutch: dans
European Spanish: baile arte
Finnish: tanssi
French: danse
German: Tanz
Greek: χορός
Italian: ballo
Japanese: ダンス
Korean: 춤
Norwegian: dans
Polish: taniec
European Portuguese: dança
Romanian: dans
Russian: танец
Latin American Spanish: baile
Swedish: dans
Thai: การเต้นรำ
Turkish: dans
Ukrainian: танець
Vietnamese: sự nhảy múa
British English: dance /dɑːns/ VERB
When you dance, you move around in time to music.
They could see a couple dancing together.
American English: dance
Arabic: يَرْقُصُ
Brazilian Portuguese: dançar
Chinese: 跳舞
Croatian: plesati
Czech: tančit
Danish: danse
Dutch: dansen
European Spanish: bailar
Finnish: tanssia
French: danser
German: tanzen
Greek: χορεύω
Italian: ballare
Japanese: 踊る
Korean: 춤추다
Norwegian: danse
Polish: zatańczyć
European Portuguese: dançar
Romanian: a dansa
Russian: танцевать
Latin American Spanish: bailar
Swedish: dansa
Thai: เต้นรำ
Turkish: dans etmek
Ukrainian: танцювати
Vietnamese: nhảy múa
All related terms of 'dance'
fan dance
a dance in which large fans are manipulated in front of the body, partially revealing or suggesting nakedness
ice dance
any of a number of dances , mostly based on ballroom dancing, performed by a couple skating on ice
lap dance
an erotic dance by a striptease artist performed mostly in the lap of a customer
poi dance
a women's formation dance that involves singing and manipulating a poi
sun dance
a Native American ceremony associated with the sun , performed at the summer solstice
tap dance
a step dance in which the performer wears shoes equipped with taps that make a rhythmic sound on the stage as he or she dances
tea dance
A tea dance is a social event that takes place in the afternoon, where people meet to dance and have tea. Tea dances are especially popular with older people.
toe dance
a dance performed on tiptoe
war dance
a ceremonial dance performed before going to battle or after victory , esp by certain Native American peoples
barn dance
A barn dance is a social event people go to for country dancing.
belly dance
a solo dance of Middle Eastern origin , characterized by undulating movements of the hips and abdomen
break dance
an acrobatic dance style originating in the 1980s
clog dance
a dance in which clogs are worn to beat out the rhythm
court dance
a dignified dance for performance at a court
dance band
a band of musicians playing music for dancing
dance card
a schedule of appointments
dance drama
drama performed through dance movements, frequently with dialogue
dance floor
In a restaurant or night club , the dance floor is the area where people can dance.
dance hall
Dance halls were large rooms or buildings where people used to pay to go and dance, usually in the evening.
dance music
music that is suitable for dancing
folk dance
any of various traditional rustic dances often originating from festivals or rituals
ghost dance
a religious dance of certain Native American tribes , connected with a political movement (from about 1888) that looked to reunion with the dead and a return to an idealized state of affairs before Europeans came
line dance
a kind of partnerless dance in which the dancers stand side by side in a line or lines and perform, in unison , a series of set, often complex , steps to various kinds of popular music
rain dance
a ceremonial dance performed by tribal people with the intention of causing rain to fall
round dance
a dance in which the dancers form a circle
snake dance
a ceremonial dance, performed by the priests of the American Hopi people, in which live snakes are held in the mouth
step dance
a dance in which a display of steps is more important than gesture or posture , esp a solo dance
sword dance
a dance in which the performers dance nimbly over swords on the ground or brandish them in the air
apache dance
a fast violent dance in French vaudeville , supposedly between a Parisian gangster and his girlfriend
country dance
a type of folk dance in which couples are arranged in sets and perform a series of movements , esp facing one another in a line
dance company
a group of dancers, usually including business and technical personnel
dance hostess
a woman who hosts a ball at her house
dance routine
A routine is a short sequence of jokes , remarks , actions, or movements that forms part of a longer performance .
dance studio
A dance studio is a place where people pay to learn how to dance.
dinner dance
A dinner dance is a social event where a large number of people come to have dinner and to dance. Dinner dances are held in the evening at hotels , restaurants , and social clubs .
modern dance
a style of free and expressive theatrical dancing not bound by the classical rules of ballet
morris dance
any of various old English folk dances usually performed by men ( morris men ) to the accompaniment of violin , concertina , etc. The dancers are adorned with bells and often represent characters from folk tales
square dance
A square dance is a traditional American dance in which sets of four couples dance together , forming a square at the beginning of the dance.
waggle dance
a series of patterned movements performed by a scouting bee , communicating to other bees of the colony the direction and distance of a food source or hive site
ballroom dance
a social dance, popular since the beginning of the 20th century, in conventional rhythms , such as the foxtrot and the quickstep
dance programme
a schedule of appointments
formation dance
any dance in which a number of couples form a certain arrangement , such as two facing lines or a circle , and perform a series of figures within or based on that arrangement
go-go dance
a dance performed by a go-go dancer
medicine dance
a ritual dance performed by some Native American tribes to invoke supernatural assistance as for driving out disease
sprinkler dance
a celebratory dance in which participants extend one arm and shake it to imitate the action of a rotating water sprinkler
dance of death
a pictorial , literary , or musical representation , current esp in the Middle Ages, of a dance in which living people, in order of social precedence , are led off to their graves , by a personification of death
old-time dance
a formal or formation dance, such as the lancers
song and dance
A song and dance act is a performance in which a person or group of people sing and dance.
Mexican hat dance
a dance performed by couples , consisting of eight measures during which the dancers kick out each foot alternately , followed by eight more measures during which they swing around with interlocking arms
Saint Vitus' dance
→ chorea
Chinese translation of 'dance'
dance
(dɑːns)
n
(c) (waltz, tango) 舞蹈 (wǔdǎo) (曲, qǔ)
(c) (= social event) 舞会(會) (wǔhuì) (个(個), gè)
(u) (= dancing) 舞蹈 (wǔdǎo)
vi
跳舞 (tiàowǔ)
to dance the tango跳探戈 (tiào tàngē)
to dance with sb和某人跳舞 (hé mǒurén tiàowǔ)
to dance about/off (liter) 欢(歡)呼雀跃(躍) (huānhū quèyuè)
1 (verb)
Definition
to move the feet and body rhythmically in time to music
They like to dance to the music on the radio.
Synonyms
prance
The cheerleaders pranced on the far side of the pitch.
rock
His body rocked from side to side.
trip
swing
The sail of the little boat swung from one side to the other.
spin
hop
skip
sway
The people swayed back and forth with arms linked.
whirl
caper
jig
Guests bopped and jigged the night away to disco beat.
frolic
cavort
gambol
bob up and down
cut a rug (informal)
2 (verb)
Definition
to skip or leap
He danced off down the road.
Synonyms
caper
The children were capering about, shouting and laughing.
trip
They tripped along without a care in the world.
spring
The lion roared once and sprang.
jump
stamping their boots and jumping up and down to knock the snow off
bound
He bounded up the steps and pushed the bell of the door.
leap
The newsreels show him leaping into the air.
bounce
Moira bounced into the office.
hop
I hopped down three steps.
skip
She was skipping along the pavement.
romp
Dogs romped happily in the garden.
frolic
Tourists sunbathe and frolic in the ocean.
cavort
children cavorting on the sand
gambol
children gambolling in the fields
3 (verb)
Definition
to move in a rhythmic way
patterns of light dancing on the river
Synonyms
sparkle
His bright eyes sparkled.
move
flash
Lightning flashed among the distant dark clouds.
glitter
The palace glittered with lights.
wink
From the hotel window, they could see lights winking on the bay.
shimmer
The lights shimmered on the water.
twinkle
At night, lights twinkle in distant villages across the valleys.
glint
The sea glinted in the sun.
glisten
The calm sea glistened in the sunlight.
glister (archaic)
scintillate
(noun)
Definition
a social meeting arranged for dancing
She often went to dances and parties in the village.
Synonyms
ball
You're going to a ball dressed like that?
social
hop (informal)
disco
The youth club holds a disco every Friday night.
knees-up (British, informal)
discotheque
dancing party
B and S (Australian, informal)
idiom
See lead someone a merry dance
related words
related adjectiveTerpsichorean
related maniachoreomania
subject word lists
See DancesSee General dance steps and terms
Quotations
There are many kinds of dances, but all those requiring the participation of the two sexes have two characteristics in common; they are conspicuously innocent, and warmly loved by the vicious [Ambrose Bierce – The Devil's Dictionary]Come, knit hands, and beat the ground, In a light fantastic round [John Milton – Comus]Dancing is the loftiest, the most moving, the most beautiful of the arts, because it is no mere translation or abstraction from life; it is life itself [Havelock Ellis – The Dance of Life]On with the dance! Let joy be unconfined; No sleep till morn, when Youth and Pleasure meet To chase the glowing hours with flying feet [Lord Byron – Childe Harold's Pilgrimage]