pantomime
Americannoun
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pantomimes
plural
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the art or technique of conveying emotions, actions, feelings, etc., by gestures without speech.
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a play or entertainment in which the performers express themselves mutely by gestures, often to the accompaniment of music.
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significant gesture without speech.
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an actor in dumb show, as in ancient Rome.
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Also called Christmas pantomime. a form of theatrical spectacle common in England during the Christmas season, generally adapted from a fairy tale and including stock character types who perform songs and dances, tell jokes, etc.
verb (used with object)
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pantomimes,
present (3rd person singular)
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pantomimed,
past participle, past
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pantomiming
present participle
verb (used without object)
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pantomimes,
present (3rd person singular)
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pantomimed,
past participle, past
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pantomiming
present participle
noun
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Sometimes shortened to: panto. a kind of play performed at Christmas time characterized by farce, music, lavish sets, stock roles, and topical jokes
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( as modifier )
a pantomime horse
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a theatrical entertainment in which words are replaced by gestures and bodily actions
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action without words as a means of expression
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(in ancient Rome) an actor in a dumb show
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informal a confused or farcical situation
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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pantomimicrynoun
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pantomimistnoun
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pantomimicadjective
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pantomimicaladjective
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pantomimicallyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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pantomimesimple
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pantomimessimple
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have pantomimedperfect
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has pantomimedperfect
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am pantomimingprogressive
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are pantomimingprogressive
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is pantomimingprogressive
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have been pantomimingperfect progressive
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has been pantomimingperfect progressive
Past
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pantomimedsimple
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had pantomimedperfect
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was pantomimingprogressive
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were pantomimingprogressive
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had been pantomimingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of pantomime
1580–90; earlier pantomimus < Latin < Greek pantómīmos. See panto-, mime
Explanation
If you make a motion with your hands to indicate eating ice cream, you are using pantomime. Parents often use this wordless communication to try to keep things from the kids. Unfortunately, the kids usually catch on quickly — especially if there is ice cream involved. An entire show, done without words is often called a pantomime, but around December, you may read about a Christmas pantomime. This is a traditional holiday show in the United Kingdom. The play is usually based on a fairy tale, and it is put on especially for children. Although it is called a pantomime or panto, the show actually includes talking, jokes, and music. The tradition goes back to the 1700s and is still popular today.
Vocabulary lists containing pantomime
Of Mice and Men
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"Of Mice and Men"
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Tangerine
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
And now, it’s coming after the pantomime chuggers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026
Thanks to skirmishes with Bordeaux-Begles in the Champions Cup, Pollock has pantomime villain status in the country.
From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026
A broadcaster and pantomime regular, he had limited experience of TV drama.
From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2026
Christopher Luscombe’s production of “The Magic Flute” wittily transformed Mozart’s Singspiel into a British pantomime, a closely related theatrical tradition.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
Silent Sam was re-enacting the entire episode in pantomime for the benefit of Tim and Tess and some other infant creatures.
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
Kingsley pantomimes resisting repeated entreaties amid the cacophony.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2026
Traditional pantomimes are normally tales rooted in fairy tales, folklore, and nursery stories, with settings usually imaginary kingdoms, medieval forests or rural villages.
From BBC ● Dec. 4, 2025
His characters may be confined by their circumstances but their imaginations are set free in theatrical games, pantomimes and nostalgic reveries.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 10, 2025
She is since making ends meet, including by singing in Chinese restaurants and performing in pantomimes for work.
From BBC ● Nov. 17, 2024
She pantomimes gardening gestures at me and taps her index finger on an imaginary watch.
From "Internment" by Samira Ahmed
First, there’s a pantomimed back story: During the overture, actors depicting the lovers as young teens flirt and are discouraged by adults.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 2, 2026
And then, much to the delight of teammates and fans, pantomimed conducting a choir or orchestra.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 1, 2023
Meyers, hearing her teammate talk that talk, snapped her fingers and pantomimed a mic drop.
From Washington Post ● Feb. 5, 2023
Gone are the white gloves and the pantomimed motions of slaves at work as Jefferson arrives at Monticello; now some members of the ensemble stand at a distance, and don’t even join in the singing.
From New York Times ● Oct. 23, 2021
He pantomimed a key turning in a lock, which meant she was back in jail.
From "Three Little Words: A Memoir" by Ashley Rhodes-Courter
Mohammad Javad Zarif, who was then Iran’s foreign minister, would sometimes retreat to the back of the room during the nuclear talks and put his head in his hands, pantomiming despair.
From Slate ● May 1, 2026
You may find yourself pantomiming with one of your feet to your children in the persona of “Mr. Stinkyfoot,” a somewhat boorish Frenchman who espouses the importance of cleanliness and the needs for a bath.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 8, 2026
In most films, the background actors are pantomiming.
From Salon ● Oct. 1, 2024
After the Heat called a timeout, a courtside fan near the Celtics’ bench could be seen pantomiming fanning White on the sideline.
From Seattle Times ● May 1, 2024
Serve her right, I thought, pantomiming like that.
From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
