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Glite Dictionary
🤫 A silent play 🤫 To act silently
to pantomime

to pantomime

2 6.8
Use only the body and face to show something without speaking
  • verb
  • /ˈpæn.tə.maɪm/
translation icon : hacer mímica
  • From near the reception area, Robert pantomimed some message for Bill.
  • pantomimed drinking
  • pantomimed eating
  • pantomimed with both hands

Examples

  • The students can role-play news events or pantomime them while a reporter reads the event for the audience.

    Academic text (1995)

  • Finally, Carlos pantomimed chasing me off with a broom, and as I hurried away, I dropped my pillowcase of goodies.

    Fiction book (1997)

  • We'll play your tape through the PA system and you pantomime.

    Airheads (1994)

  • Teacher could humorously pantomime the start to her or his own day.

    Academic text (2012)

  • Richard realizes that she is trying to pantomime long hair.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • "It's like this," one child says, while he pantomimes grabbing something.

    Academic text (2013)

  • Thrayl waited a moment, then pantomimed eating.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • And certainly by not talking out loud and, and pantomiming your sentences, you're making your point.

  • Gala pantomimed brushing dirt away from her find, then dropping it into a bag at her side.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • During the lesson, the teacher pantomimed a cow drinking water to help the students understand the concept.

Synonyms

to mime
vsto pantomime
5 5.6

To show an action using gestures and no words

uses exaggerated gestures and movements to represent something without speech

Antonyms

to speak
∞ 1.0

To talk with someone to share thoughts or feelings

to verbalize
  • US
9 4.8

To put thoughts or feelings into words

Compounds

pantomime villain
8.1

A clearly exaggerated evil character in a play who makes the audience boo

How Expressive

to pantomime
2 6.8
to mime
5 5.6

Surface Forms

pantomime infinitive
pantomimed past
pantomimed past participle
pantomiming present participle
pantomimes third person singular

Morphology

pantomime = mime (semi-transparent) = panto + mime

The verb is formed by adding the combining element 'panto-' to 'mime'; 'mime' gives a clear clue but 'panto-' (meaning 'all' historically) is less obvious and the modern sense has theatrical/cultural specifics.

Etymology

Pantomime comes from Greek parts pan- meaning 'all' and mime meaning 'imitate', and it is related to the English word mime. So to pantomime something is to show or imitate it with your whole body and face without speaking.