dance Meaning & Definition
What Does Dance Mean?
As a noun, dance means A sequence of rhythmic steps or movements usually performed to music, for pleasure or as a form of social interaction. It is also used to mean A social gathering where dancing is the main activity. As a verb, it means To move with rhythmic steps or movements, especially in time to music.
Dance in Brief
| Part of speech | noun, verb |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | //dɑːns// |
| Syllables | 1 |
| Synonyms | trip the light fantastic, dancing and terpsichore |
| Plural | dances |
| Verb forms | dances, dancing, danced |
Dance Definition (Noun)
- A sequence of rhythmic steps or movements usually performed to music, for pleasure or as a form of social interaction.
I do a dance when she plays the drums!
- A social gathering where dancing is the main activity.
The dance we had in August 2008 is one of the greatest moments of my life!
- The art, profession, and study of dancing.
- Ellipsis of electronic dance music.
- A piece of music with a particular dance rhythm.
- A battle of wits, especially one commonly fought between two rivals.
So how much longer are we gonna do this dance?
- Any strenuous or difficult movement, action, or task.
- A repetitive movement used in communication between worker honey bees.
Dance as a Verb
- To move with rhythmic steps or movements, especially in time to music.
I danced with her all night long.
- To leap or move lightly and rapidly.
His eyes danced with pleasure as he spoke. She accused her political opponent of dancing around the issue instead of confronting it.
- To perform the steps to.
Have you ever danced the tango?
- To cause to dance, or move nimbly or merrily about.
- To make love or have sex.
You make me feel like dancing.
- To make a repetitive movement in order to communicate to other worker honey bees.
- To kick and convulse from the effects of being hanged.
Noun
- A normally horizontal stripe called a fess that has been modified to zig-zag across the center of a coat of arms from dexter to sinister.
Noun
- A genre of modern music characterised by sampled beats, repetitive rhythms and few lyrics.
Synonyms of Dance
Dance synonyms and antonyms →Antonyms of Dance
No antonyms or near antonyms are listed by the available sources for this entry.
Dance in a Sentence
I do a dance when she plays the drums!
He does the Gangnam Style dance with his friends in school.
The dance we had in August 2008 is one of the greatest moments of my life!
So how much longer are we gonna do this dance?
I danced with her all night long.
These drum beats are making me dance!
His eyes danced with pleasure as he spoke. She accused her political opponent of dancing around the issue instead of confronting it.
Have you ever danced the tango?
You make me feel like dancing.
Word Forms & Grammar
dance (countable and uncountable, plural dances)
dance (third-person singular simple present dances, present participle dancing, simple past and past participle danced)
dance (plural dances)
Words That Rhyme With Dance
Origin of Dance
Origin 1: Inherited from Middle English dauncen, borrowed from Anglo-Norman dauncer, from Vulgar Latin *dantiāre, of uncertain origin. Displaced native Old English sealtian, Old English frīcian, and partially displaced Old English hlēapan (“to leap, dance, run”, whence modern leap). Doublet of danza.
Origin 2: Related to dancy, dancetté, French danché.
How to Pronounce Dance
You say dance as //dɑːns//. It has 1 syllable.
Common Questions About Dance
Is dance a noun or a verb?
Dance is mainly used as a noun, but it can also be used as a verb.
What is another word for dance?
Words with a similar meaning to dance include trip the light fantastic, dancing and terpsichore. See the full list of dance synonyms and antonyms.
What is the plural of dance?
The plural of dance is dances.
What is the past tense of dance?
The past tense of dance is danced. The present participle is dancing.