dance

verb

\ ˈdan(t)s

, ˈdän(t)s\

danced; dancing

Definition of dance

(Entry 1 of 2)

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

dance attendance

: to attend in an eager and servile manner a celebrity used to having people dance attendance on him

dance

noun, often attributive

Definition of dance (Entry 2 of 2)

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

Other Words from dance Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about dance

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Synonyms for dance

Synonyms: Verb

foot (it), hoof (it), step

Synonyms: Noun

ball, cotillion (also cotillon), formal, hop, prom

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

The official Blue Bloods account uploaded an absolutely adorable photo of the duo dancing together. — Jennifer Aldrich, Country Living, "'Blue Bloods' Sparks Rumors That Danny Reagan Might Start Dating Someone Close to Him," 16 Mar. 2019 Whether 21 or 71, the crowd climbed on the backs of their booths and onto their tables and danced. — Ian Malone, Vogue, "Kendall, Hailey, Cara! Models Galore Came Out to the Opening of Edition Hotels’s Times Square Outpost," 13 Mar. 2019 Here's the video of Miley dancing along to the footage and memorable theme song: View this post on Instagram Best . — Katherine J. Igoe, Marie Claire, "Miley Cyrus Channels Hannah Montana at the 'RuPaul's Drag Race' Afterparty," 1 Mar. 2019 Thousands of singing and dancing devils take over the mountain town for six days of revelry in the streets. — Kainaz Amaria, Vox, "2018, explained in pictures by women and non-binary photographers," 21 Dec. 2018 Kim and Kanye got to dance their first dance all over again, and Chrissy and Luna were there too—no fights this time! — Katherine J. Igoe, Marie Claire, "Chrissy Teigen and John Legend Reminisce Hilariously About Their Biggest Fight," 18 Jan. 2019 Former president Barack Obama seems to be enjoying his newfound free time outside of the White House by dancing at concerts, sprucing up his wardrobe, and hitting the campaign trail in support of rising Democratic candidates. — Isabella Gomez, Teen Vogue, "Lin-Manuel Miranda and Barack Obama Perform "One Last Time" Remix from "Hamilton"," 22 Dec. 2018 The footage covers a range of sweet moments — from when the pair walked down the aisle and recited their vows, to slow dancing together at the reception. — Kayla Keegan, Good Housekeeping, "Audrey Roloff Shares Rare Wedding Footage on Instagram for Her and Jeremy's Anniversary," 21 Sep. 2018 In the video, Bishop can be seen dancing at 12:45 a.m. June 2 at Mile High Spirits Distillery and Tasting Bar as onlookers crowd around, smiling and laughing. — Don Sweeney, sacbee, "Dancing FBI agent who shot man after backflip at Denver bar gets his gun back," 10 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

This bright, snug space is meant to fulfill many needs, whether that’s a casual meal, a late-night dance party, or a healthy brunch. — Ella Riley-adams, Vogue, "You’ll Want to Stay Awhile at Bowery’s Newest Bar, Where Tito’s Flows All Night and Brunch Is Actually Good," 7 Mar. 2019 Bhakti, or devotion, is a spiritual path that uses music, dance, poetry, literature and such rituals as bathing, dressing and garlanding statues believed to house deities. — Lee Lawrence, WSJ, "‘Seeing the Divine: Pahari Painting of North India’ Review: Multifaceted Devotion," 16 Feb. 2019 Instead of toasts and dances, the moments I’ll remember could never have been planned. — Phoebe Lapine, Marie Claire, "How to Marry a Guy in Five Days," 18 Jan. 2019 Move It Fridays Every Friday: Play for better health yoga, balance, dance, tumbling and more for toddlers. 11:30 a.m.-noon. — Mary Lou Cruz, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Davie area events July 18-28," 14 July 2018 Dancing Under the Stars Jack London Square presents its annual dance series offering lessons in various styles followed by a chance to try out your new moves. — SFChronicle.com, "Events listings," 12 July 2018 People in the back seat also sing, dance (sort of), and, in at least one instance, weep. — Mark Feeney, BostonGlobe.com, "‘The King’ takes Elvis’s Rolls-Royce for a ride," 11 July 2018 The trend continued throughout the aughts, expanding to include more rap and dance, by artists such as Nelly, 50 Cent and Soulja Boy. — Charles Stockdale, USA TODAY, "The most popular song from the year you were born," 9 July 2018 The rest of the skins' visual elements dance and toy with players' periphery—and, even more importantly, employ astonishing depth-of-field effects. — Sam Machkovech, Ars Technica, "Tetris Effect review: The puzzle game of my dreams—literally," 9 Nov. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'dance.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.