danced; dancing
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
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
dancer
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
Synonyms
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
Aaron Cohen, NPR, 5 Apr. 2024
As a poet, Angelou’s words danced off the page, capturing the essence of the human experience.
—Shelby Stewart, Essence, 4 Apr. 2024
He was seen talking to Duke fans, dancing in the middle of the court during crunch time of crucial victories, all while being a dominant force with the basketball in his hand.
—Ben Morse, CNN, 4 Apr. 2024
In one scene, Hayes dances for Solène in just a pair of black boxer briefs after some steamy alone time in a hotel room.
—Marc Malkin, Variety, 3 Apr. 2024
Twenty-five shows from the U.S. and abroad, ranging from immersive theater, to dance, acrobatics, music and puppetry, are being presented free of charge to the community.
—The San Diego Union-Tribune Staff, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Apr. 2024
The Wolfpack dances on after a strong second half
No. 11 NC State defeated No. 4 Duke, 76-64, after a strong second half.
—Trisha Garcia-Easto, Sacramento Bee, 1 Apr. 2024
At the Brandenburg Gate at the turn of midnight from Sunday to Monday, people danced and played music, held signs and took photos with a large fake cannabis plant, while filling the air above them with a cloud of smoke.
—Sammy Westfall, Washington Post, 1 Apr. 2024
Watkins danced with defenders in a dizzying array of dribbles and crossovers.
—Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 23 Mar. 2024
Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2024
This access is gained by providing programs such as arts and education, high school diplomas, STEM (Lego technology), aerobics, creative dance, sports, modeling and charm classes.
—Rick Mauch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Apr. 2024
The collective took evident delight in another irony as well: The fact that video game designers often looked towards dance to give virtual characters some heft.
—Ben Croll, Variety, 4 Apr. 2024
The movie's first poster might confirm this, showing Phoenix dipping Gaga in a haunting dance as light seems to trickle in from one of the asylum's windows.
—Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 4 Apr. 2024
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
Verb
This hit song, on her new (and hugely popular) Cowboy Carter album, is both an invitation to dance and an assertion of African American cultural identity.
—Aaron Cohen, NPR, 5 Apr. 2024
As a poet, Angelou’s words danced off the page, capturing the essence of the human experience.
—Shelby Stewart, Essence, 4 Apr. 2024
He was seen talking to Duke fans, dancing in the middle of the court during crunch time of crucial victories, all while being a dominant force with the basketball in his hand.
—Ben Morse, CNN, 4 Apr. 2024
In one scene, Hayes dances for Solène in just a pair of black boxer briefs after some steamy alone time in a hotel room.
—Marc Malkin, Variety, 3 Apr. 2024
Twenty-five shows from the U.S. and abroad, ranging from immersive theater, to dance, acrobatics, music and puppetry, are being presented free of charge to the community.
—The San Diego Union-Tribune Staff, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Apr. 2024
The Wolfpack dances on after a strong second half
No. 11 NC State defeated No. 4 Duke, 76-64, after a strong second half.
—Trisha Garcia-Easto, Sacramento Bee, 1 Apr. 2024
At the Brandenburg Gate at the turn of midnight from Sunday to Monday, people danced and played music, held signs and took photos with a large fake cannabis plant, while filling the air above them with a cloud of smoke.
—Sammy Westfall, Washington Post, 1 Apr. 2024
Watkins danced with defenders in a dizzying array of dribbles and crossovers.
—Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 23 Mar. 2024
Noun
The three acts of dance are not literal adaptations of Woolf’s stories but rather a visual evocation of the novels’ emotions and themes.
—Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2024
This access is gained by providing programs such as arts and education, high school diplomas, STEM (Lego technology), aerobics, creative dance, sports, modeling and charm classes.
—Rick Mauch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Apr. 2024
The collective took evident delight in another irony as well: The fact that video game designers often looked towards dance to give virtual characters some heft.
—Ben Croll, Variety, 4 Apr. 2024
The movie's first poster might confirm this, showing Phoenix dipping Gaga in a haunting dance as light seems to trickle in from one of the asylum's windows.
—Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 4 Apr. 2024
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
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
Phrases Containing dance
Dictionary Entries Near dance
Cite this Entry
“Dance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dance. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
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
dancer
noun
dance
2 of 2 noun1
: 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
Nglish: Translation of dance for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of dance for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about dance
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