dance

1 of 2

verb

ˈdan(t)s How to pronounce dance (audio)
ˈdän(t)s
danced; dancing

intransitive verb

1
: to move one's body rhythmically usually to music : to engage in or perform a dance (see dance entry 2 sense 2)
dancing to our favorite song
Shall we dance?
2
: to move or seem to move up and down or about in a quick or lively manner
dance for joy
leaves dancing in the wind

transitive verb

1
: to perform or take part in as a dancer
dance the waltz
2
: to cause to dance
danced the baby on her knee
3
: to bring into a specified condition by dancing
danced his way into her heart
danceable adjective
dancer noun

dance

2 of 2

noun

often attributive
1
: an act or instance of moving one's body rhythmically usually to music : an act or instance of dancing (see dance entry 1 sense 1)
the couple's first dance as husband and wife
May I have this dance?
2
: a series of rhythmic and patterned bodily movements usually performed to music
slow dances
dance moves
3
: a social gathering for dancing
a high school dance
4
: a piece of music by which dancing may be guided
5
: the art of dancing
studied dance in college
Phrases
dance attendance
: to attend in an eager and servile manner
a celebrity used to having people dance attendance on him

Examples of dance in a Sentence

Verb He never learned how to dance. She has always loved to dance. I like the song but it's really hard to dance to. He danced her across the floor. She dances with a famous ballet company. She's a great actress, and she can dance and sing, too. Noun They can do all the popular dances. The only dance he knows how to do is the twist. How about one more dance? He stopped right in the middle of the dance to tie his shoe. He did a celebration dance in the end zone after scoring the touchdown. She studied dance in college.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Watkins danced with defenders in a dizzying array of dribbles and crossovers. Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 23 Mar. 2024 There will be dancing, dining, cocktails and an auction. Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Mar. 2024 Hocker Grove Park had spots for roller skating, dancing, watching professional boxing matches and playing basketball. Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 22 Mar. 2024 More than 100,000 people were expected to dance this weekend to the beat of electronic music at Ultra, an annual, three-day outdoor party at Bayfront Park in downtown Miami. Omar Rodríguez Ortiz, Miami Herald, 22 Mar. 2024 Evans' resume also includes dancing for Cardi B, Mary J Blige, Jason Derulo and Maroon 5. Bryan West, USA TODAY, 22 Mar. 2024 And thousands of attendees were dancing and laughing — waving camcorders and microphones, drinks and cigarettes. Janay Kingsberry, Washington Post, 21 Mar. 2024 The carousel post's final slide, featured Teigen cuddling and dancing with Esti while standing and lifting her up and down. Gabrielle Rockson, Peoplemag, 21 Mar. 2024 Stone, who took home an award for her performance in Poor Things at the end of the night, sang and danced alongside Gosling in La La Land, but that was actually their third collaboration. Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 11 Mar. 2024
Noun
Under Bushnell’s leadership, the theater produced up to 18 shows a year along with a new-play festival, poetry readings, dance performances and a quarterly journal. Josh Rottenberg, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2024 Read Next This Charlotte dance club is being sued for playing songs without paying artists March 13, 2024 9:28 AM Legal action is never the first move ASCAP filed more than 100 lawsuits in the last year, Wagener said, but legal action is never their first move. Julia Coin, Charlotte Observer, 25 Mar. 2024 Last month, a bride and her father garnered thousands of likes and more than 1.2 million views with a video of their epic father-daughter performance for their wedding dance. Charlotte Phillipp, Peoplemag, 24 Mar. 2024 Sarah had been brought up in a religious household, gone through her rebellious phase as a teenager, and was now teaching dance at a Christian school in Chinatown. Jason Kersten, Rolling Stone, 23 Mar. 2024 There will be candy, crafts, a magic show, prizes, dance performances and a chance to take photos with the bunny. Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Mar. 2024 People participate in an afternoon dance class at Parque Mexico in Mexico City. Alfredo Sosa, The Christian Science Monitor, 22 Mar. 2024 Start the evening with sketch comedy before the dance party begins. Chris Kelly, Washington Post, 21 Mar. 2024 Children bang on toy drums, dance and march to traditional Ramadan songs. Sana Noor Haq, CNN, 13 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dance.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English dauncen, from Anglo-French dancer

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of dance was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near dance

Cite this Entry

“Dance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dance. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

dance

1 of 2 verb
danced; dancing
1
: to engage in or perform a dance
2
: to move quickly up and down or about
3
: to perform or take part in as a dancer
danceable adjective
dancer noun

dance

2 of 2 noun
1
: an act or instance of dancing
2
: a series of rhythmic and patterned bodily movements usually performed to music
3
: a social gathering for dancing
4
: a piece of music by which dancing may be guided
5
: the art of dancing

More from Merriam-Webster on dance

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