Skip to main content
dance

dance

947 1.0
A set of steps and movements performed to music
  • noun
  • /dæns/
translation icon : baile
  • The cultural festival featured traditional dances from around the world, celebrating the diversity of movement and music.
  • dance education
  • music and dance
  • art and dance

They're like little kids dance performance for their parents.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • As the feast went on, a multimedia pageant of song, dance, poetry, and fashion unfolded.

    Academic text (2013)
  • In fact, she had majored in contemporary dance and had been a dance instructor for 6 years.

    Academic text (2013)
  • What would your first dance song be?

  • People approach me about the dance all the time.

  • I knew you had one more dance in you.

  • Save me a dance, and we call it even.

  • Are you ready for our dance?

  • Wanna see the dance I'm doing for the school show in the fall?

  • My favorite type of dance is tap and sassy jazz.

  • The children performed a joyful dance at the school assembly, showcasing their enthusiasm for the art.

Synonyms

dancing
vsdance
758 1.0

Moving your body in time to music for fun with other people

focuses on artistic or expressive sequences of rhythmical steps
terpsichore
vsdance
  • Archaic
9.9

The art of dancing, used to mean dance or a dancer

is the common everyday word for rhythmic steps and movements

Antonyms

38 3.5

A time of complete quiet and no movement that feels calm

12 3.5

A period of time with no movement or action

Idioms

5 4.4

To spend a long time moving to music until very late at night

1 9.6

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

6.1

To enjoy life without worrying about problems

7.7

To move your body with wild, strong energy and little control

Stay loyal to people or groups that supported you

Move your body freely and confidently without worrying about other people

Move your body freely and happily without worrying about being watched

9.9

To move with great ease and joy while showing confidence

9.9

To be hanged by the neck until dead

To move your body in a lively way with fast steps to music

Compounds

125 1.3

An area where people dance at parties or clubs

20 2.6

A specific step or movement done during a dance

16 1.4

Music with a strong beat that people dance to at parties

15 1.0

A class where people learn to dance

11 2.9

A large place for dancing with live or recorded music

9 1.9

A set of foot movements that form part of a dance

7 3.5

A stage performance with free, expressive body movements

7 4.4

A contest where people compete by dancing to see who is best

4 2.1

A school where people learn to dance

Dance movements that express emotions and tell a story

4 3.0

A dance where the feet make tapping sounds using shoes with metal plates

3 2.7

A group of musicians who play popular lively music for people to dance to

3 3.6

A party in a barn where people dance country dances

3 3.3

A country dance with four couples in a square led by a caller

A formal activity where couples move together in set steps to music like the waltz

3 7.5

A traditional dance people do to ask for rain

A performance with singing and dancing on stage

1 6.8

A traditional dance where people stamp loudly while wearing shoes with wooden soles

1 6.1

A traditional dance where men step over or wave swords during celebrations

A dance from a community that people learn from their grandparents

1 3.6

A solo street dance with quick acrobatic moves often done to hip-hop music

1 5.3

A person who teaches formal dances like ballet and the waltz

1 5.8

A dance performed during a religious or traditional ceremony

song and dance
  • Informal
1 7.2

A complicated story used as an excuse to avoid blame

dance of death
  • Literature
1 9.9

An image showing death as a skeleton leading rich and poor people to the grave

1 2.7

A traditional dance from a region that tells local stories

1 4.4

A lively happy movement people make together at a celebration

1 8.2

A group dance done before battle or after a victory, often by Native peoples

A dance done during a religious or ritual ceremony to show respect

dance orchestra
  • Archaic
1 3.2

A group of musicians who play music for dancing at social events

fan dance
  • NSFW
1 8.6

A solo dance using large feather fans to hide and show the body in a sexy way

A group dance around a tall pole decorated with ribbons and flowers

ghost dance
  • Literature
1 9.8

A religious dance from the late 1800s in which Native American people try to talk with spirits and find hope

A dance that uses body movements to show feelings or tell a story

pee-pee dance
  • Baby Talk
1 9.9

A small dance children do when they really need to pee

sun dance
  • Literature
1 8.8

A special dance held in summer by some Native American tribes to honor the sun

A Middle Eastern dance with smooth hip and stomach movements

9.8

A solo dance using large balloons to hide and show the dancer's body

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

9.3

A traditional dance by some Native American people to ask for rain and a good corn harvest

9.9

A low, energetic dance where people bend their knees and move their arms and legs widely, often at metal shows

dance therapy
  • Specialized
4.1

A way of using dance and movement to help people feel better emotionally and physically

dance palace
  • Archaic
3.0

A large room or building for dancing and social events

apache dance
  • Archaic
9.9

A fast, dramatic dance that shows a pretend struggle between a man and a woman

A dance by Apache people performed during a religious ceremony

6.8

A dance in which dancers move fans in slow graceful ways for a show or celebration

7.7

Using body movement to help women feel stronger and heal

To dance in a traditional style from a region

A long party where people dance late at night for many hours

A country dance with couples in two long lines facing each other

9.1

A traditional English group dance with dancers in costumes who use sticks, handkerchiefs, or bells

9.9

A short flirty show of bold, showy moves to get attention

kabuki dance
  • Literature
9.9

A public show that looks important but hides real plans

nautch dance
  • Archaic
9.9

A traditional Indian dance performed by trained women dancers at festivals and social events

A group of people who form a circle and dance together, often holding hands

People move together in a circle following set steps, often with partners

9.9

A condition that makes children have quick, uncontrolled body movements

A child moving and fidgeting because they need to go to the toilet right away

A dance where dancers make rhythmic sounds by hitting the floor with metal plates on their shoes

6.1

A dance on the tips of the toes usually in ballet

A dance with slow, smooth, curving movements that look graceful

skibidi dance
  • Texting
8.9

A popular dance from a music video that people copy on social media

slam dance
  • Jargon
8.8

A style of dancing where people bump into each other on purpose, usually at punk shows

4.6

People moving forward in a long winding line at a celebration

9.1

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

St. Vitus dance
  • Archaic
9.9

A medical condition causing sudden uncontrolled movements in children often after rheumatic fever

weasel war dance
  • Informal
9.9

A wild, excited dance that ferrets or weasels do when they are happy

A dance that copies the stiff, jerky movements of zombies

How Formal

gala
72 3.7
ball
253 2.6
dance
947 1.0
to party
  • Informal
298 3.0

Surface Forms

dance singular
dances plural

Etymology

Dance comes from the old French danser, which meant 'to jump' or 'move', so a dance is a series of steps and moves done to music. This origin helps explain why a dance is both a planned art and a way to show feeling through movement.