trance

1 of 2

noun

ˈtran(t)s 

1

: stupor, daze

2

: a sleeplike state (as of deep hypnosis) usually characterized by partly suspended animation with diminished or absent sensory and motor activity

3

: a state of profound abstraction or absorption

trancelike

ˈtran(t)s-ˌlīk 

adjective

trance

2 of 2

verb

tranced; trancing

transitive verb

: entrance, enrapture

"… I, tranced, beheld an awful glory …"

—Herman Melville

Synonyms of trance

Noun

• daydreaming
• reverie

Examples of trance in a Sentence

Noun

The spiritual healer fell into a trance.

He was staring out the window in a trance.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

There are better descriptors for trance cinema, for things that are slow or obtuse. — Sam Bodrojan, IndieWire, 17 Sep. 2026

Paulina Prosnitz Back to the issue Welcome Wings Traveling to Greece last summer was a dreamlike trance of crystal-clear waters, skinny European cigarettes, and endless tzatziki. — Air Mail, 15 Aug. 2026

Verb

Attendees will enjoy trancing out in the popular Fluorescent Tent, where rocks glow like alien candy under UV light. — Randy McMullen, Mercury News, 6 Nov. 2025

Wait, the bunny Anna is holding and trancing (a type of hold on the bunny's back that puts it into a fear state) is strikingly similar to Parker. — Marni Rose McFall, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English traunce, from Anglo-French transe death, coma, rapture, from transir to depart, die, from Latin transire to cross, pass by — more at transient

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1597, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for trance

• chance
• dance
• glance
• hance
• hanse
• lance
• manse
• prance
• stance
• advance
• askance
• enhance

Kids Definition

trance

noun

ˈtran(t)s

1

: stupor sense 1

2

: a sleeplike state (as of deep hypnosis)

3

: a state of being so deeply absorbed in something as to be unaware of one's surroundings

trancelike

-ˌlīk

adjective

Medical Definition

trance

noun

ˈtran(t)s 

1

: a sleeplike altered state of consciousness (as of deep hypnosis) usually characterized by partly suspended animation with diminished or absent sensory and motor activity and subsequent lack of recall

2

: a state of profound abstraction or absorption

trancelike

-ˌlīk 

adjective

or trance-like

a trancelike state