to dance
- verb
- /dæns/
- At the wedding, everyone started to dance as soon as the music began.
- sing and dance
- dance to music
- get up and dance
She had to dance for the guards, right?
- She had to dance for the guards, right?
- We drink Uzo, you know, we dance on table tops.
- I can't dance with him if he doesn't want to dance right.
- OK, Governor, maybe dance like somebody is watching.
- And we don't, we don't dance very often.
- Or as they say, You Can Dance, you can drive.
- Y'all tell me if you see me dance at you should.
- Earlier you said that you discovered that you could dance that that caught my ear.
Examples
-
She loves to sing and dance and go to the beach.
-
You know, Alex knows how to salsa dance, right?
-
And you get to dance with boys.
-
You go out with friends, you dance, you have so much fun.
-
Because we can dance all day if you want to.
-
Oh, you want to dance?
-
The children then dance around the classroom, starting out slowly and then moving quickly.
Academic text (2013) -
OK, you know how to dance, you know why you're here.
-
You've spent the whole night dancing with him, and I'm going to tell your mother.
Fiction book (1990) -
My 2-year-old son follows my 5-year-old around as she dances to the music.
Academic text (2015)
Synonyms
To make rhythmic sounds with the feet when dancing
Dance energetically to lively upbeat music
To enjoy music and move your body to its rhythm
To dance with a partner in the Argentine style using close steps
Shake your hips and bottom in time with music, often while low in a squat
To move your feet to make tapping sounds while wearing shoes with metal plates
To dance with four couples in a square led by a caller
To dance to lively music with a steady bass beat
Dance in a lively, graceful way to music
To do energetic acrobatic street dance moves to hip-hop music
To dance in a lively, elegant way to music
Move your feet in time with music as a dance
To move the feet to make a rhythm with small metal plates on special shoes
To dance in a traditional style from a region
To do energetic street dance moves with flips and spins
To perform a street dance with quick acrobatic moves to hip-hop music
Antonyms
Idioms
- Informal
To spend a long time moving to music until very late at night
- Informal
To take a serious risk by doing something morally wrong to gain power or money
To take part in a traditional May Day dance in a circle around a tall decorated pole
Stay loyal to people or groups that supported you
- Informal
Move your body freely and confidently without worrying about other people
- Informal
Move your body freely and happily without worrying about being watched
Phrasal Verbs
Compounds
A formal activity where couples move together in set steps to music like the waltz
- UK
A traditional dance where people stamp loudly while wearing shoes with wooden soles
- Literature
An image showing death as a skeleton leading rich and poor people to the grave
- Literature
A religious dance from the late 1800s in which Native American people try to talk with spirits and find hope
- Literature
A special dance held in summer by some Native American tribes to honor the sun
A dance on stage with planned steps performed for an audience like ballet or modern dance
A traditional folk dance where couples stand in sets or lines and do the same steps to music
- US
A traditional dance by some Native American people to ask for rain and a good corn harvest
- Jargon
A low, energetic dance where people bend their knees and move their arms and legs widely, often at metal shows
- Specialized
A way of using dance and movement to help people feel better emotionally and physically
- Archaic
A fast, dramatic dance that shows a pretend struggle between a man and a woman
- UK
A traditional English group dance with dancers in costumes who use sticks, handkerchiefs, or bells
- Archaic
A traditional Indian dance performed by trained women dancers at festivals and social events
- Archaic
A condition that makes children have quick, uncontrolled body movements
A dance where dancers make rhythmic sounds by hitting the floor with metal plates on their shoes
- Jargon
A style of dancing where people bump into each other on purpose, usually at punk shows
- US
A sacred dance where people handle snakes as part of a ritual among some Native American groups
Music played to accompany square dancing, often with lively fiddle or banjo rhythms
- Archaic
A medical condition causing sudden uncontrolled movements in children often after rheumatic fever
How Energetic
Surface Forms
Etymology
Dance comes from the old French danser, originally meaning 'to jump' or 'move quickly'. That's why dance today means moving your body and feet in time with music as a lively form of expression.