cavort
Americanverb (used without object)
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to prance or caper about.
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to behave in a high-spirited, festive manner; have a lively good time; revel.
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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cavortsimple
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cavortssimple
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have cavortedperfect
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has cavortedperfect
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am cavortingprogressive
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are cavortingprogressive
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is cavortingprogressive
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have been cavortingperfect progressive
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has been cavortingperfect progressive
Past
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cavortedsimple
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had cavortedperfect
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was cavortingprogressive
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were cavortingprogressive
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had been cavortingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of cavort
An Americanism dating back to 1785–95; earlier cavault, perhaps cur(vet) ( def. ) + vault 2 ( def. )
Explanation
How to cavort, in one easy step: dance around all crazy, jumping on and over anything nearby like you just ate a lot of sugar. Give it a try! Cavorting requires a good mood, lots of energy, and some running room. Children love to cavort, and so do parents when they win the lottery. The origins of the word are unclear, perhaps coming from the word curvet, meaning “leap gracefully or energetically,” and leaping is a great addition to any cavorting. There are lots of synonyms, so if you ever get tired of cavorting, you could always prance, frolic, lark, rollick, romp, or carouse. The choice is yours.
Vocabulary lists containing cavort
300 Most Difficult "SAT" Words
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"There Will Come Soft Rains" by Ray Bradbury
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"There Will Come Soft Rains" by Ray Bradbury (1950)
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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.
Once that stops, the sheep open their eyes and cavort around happily as if nothing had happened.
From Salon • May 17, 2026
The very first Christmas single is definitely scripted, but there’s still ample room for the four Beatles to cavort.
From Salon • Dec. 23, 2025
Much of the fun in Taylor’s “Diggity” lies in watching the dancers cavort at high speed through the obstacle course of dogs.
From New York Times • Oct. 28, 2022
Look at them grin and cavort amid the food scraps in an activity that the movie will have us know tightens the familial bond.
From Seattle Times • Oct. 6, 2022
“The producers would bring in a cat or an anteater or an otter and show it and let it cavort around,” Palmer says.
From "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
