prance

1 of 2

verb

pranced; prancing

intransitive verb

1
: to spring from the hind legs or move by so doing
2
: to ride on a prancing horse
3
: to walk or move in a spirited manner : strut
also : to dance about

transitive verb

: to cause (a horse) to prance
prancer noun

prance

2 of 2

noun

: an act or instance of prancing
specifically : a prancing movement

Examples of prance in a Sentence

Verb The singer pranced around on stage. The little boy pranced across the room in his cowboy costume.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Appointed the company’s managing director and head of engineering projects following the war, Ricart was driven by a real passion to build a car surpassing Ferrari’s prancing horses. Robert Ross, Robb Report, 5 Feb. 2024 The sexagenarian siren prances flirtatiously around Gerry, and even drops her derriere down low a few times. Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 14 Sep. 2023 As a crowd of spectators cheered, some of the sheep pranced. George Steinmetz Catherine Porter, New York Times, 21 Jan. 2024 The bride and groom were just prancing around posing for photos, oblivious to it all. Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 18 Jan. 2024 There were only about 45 minutes left until midnight when the singer-songwriter joined the two hosts, immediately bewildering them as the camera caught a bunch of tabbies prancing all over the bar. Julyssa Lopez, Rolling Stone, 1 Jan. 2024 Stirling, a multi-talented musician known for her choreographed violin performances, pranced and pirouetted around the stage while Grant and Yearwood traded verses of the beloved hymn. Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 18 Dec. 2023 It’s been a banner year for Ferraris, the de facto blue-chip assets of the car world: All told, 12 of the top 15 cars sold at auction this year bore the prancing pony badge, according to data compiled by Classic.com, a website that sells collectible cars and tracks their values. Hannah Elliott, Fortune, 14 Nov. 2023 Jubilant people pranced and danced atop the Berlin Wall, a sight unthinkable only hours earlier... James Freeman, WSJ, 9 Nov. 2023
Noun
Olivia, a Scottish Fold cat, prances into the woods. Bryan West, USA TODAY, 26 Jan. 2024 Milwaukee prances into every game thinking their talent will overtake their opponent. Brian Sampson, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2024 As the spoonbills prance on sandbars, a reddish egret performs a vaudeville-style dance to stir up fish. Robin Soslow, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024 Illuminated from behind by the Stones’ giant lips logo, the sinewy soundalike prances about the king-sized, covered stage in a smoke-machine cloud as his six bandmates tear through a respectably rowdy Jumpin’ Jack Flash. Greg Carannante, Sun Sentinel, 16 Jan. 2024 The exuberance and confidence informed her array of disarming moves — pop-and-lock combinations, aggressive shimmies, shoulder rolls, rump shakes, move-outta-the-way prances — usually executed in choreographed routines with her dance squad. Bob Gendron, Chicago Tribune, 23 July 2023 Somewhere between Jacob Riis and Charlie Chaplin, Murillo offers a knowing but escapist prance through need. Walker Mimms, New York Times, 12 Jan. 2023 The 2021 season was just 13 innings old when Cardinals pitcher Jake Woodford hit Nick Castellanos with a pitch, one game after Castellanos punctuated a long home run with a skip, prance and bat toss. USA Today, 10 May 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'prance.' 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

Middle English prauncen

First Known Use

Verb

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

Noun

1893, in the meaning defined above

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

Dictionary Entries Near prance

Cite this Entry

“Prance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prance. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

prance

verb
ˈpran(t)s
pranced; prancing
1
: to rise up or move about on the hind legs
2
: to ride on a prancing horse
3
: to walk or move about in a lively and proud manner : strut
prance noun
prancer
ˈpran(t)-sər
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on prance

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