cavort
Americanverb (used without object)
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cavorts,
present (3rd person singular)
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cavorted,
past participle, past
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cavorting
present participle
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to prance or caper about.
-
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.
See Examples For:
In his “Mystic Mandorla,” which is missing its central element, a figure of Christ or Mary, the angels seem almost to cavort as they go about their task.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 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
Lucky loves toying with tires, and baby elephants, typically not chained in their pens, kick balls or cavort with the village’s stray dogs.
From New York Times ● Apr. 1, 2023
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
So Magdalys mostly had to be content with watching the great beasts cavort along outside her window: The lamplighter’s iguanodons would pass first thing in the morning, extinguishing the lanterns as the day broke.
From "Dactyl Hill Squad" by Daniel José Older
With some deft, haunting touches in the lighting by Brad King and illusions by Skylar Fox, the cast cavorts grandly on Maruti Evans’s leafy suburban set.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 20, 2023
Carmelita elopes, cavorts with Lord Epping and tosses pies with her husband’s ex-fiancee.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2020
In a video, Mr. Cattelan cavorts with a cutout of a gold toilet under the slogan “Great artists steal.”
From New York Times ● Nov. 20, 2019
Chad Kelderman is deliciously ridiculous as Olivia’s pompous major-domo Malvolio, and Eric Ray Anderson gleefully cavorts as the sly party dog Sir Toby Belch.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 17, 2019
Up goes his head and tail, he buck jumps, cavorts, gambols, kicks up his heels, bounds stiff-legged, and generally performs like an irresponsible infant.
From The Land of Footprints by Stewart Edward White
Raw when he needed storm or battle; extra excited when Valkyries cavorted with horses; effusive when emotion took over senses; tender when morality mattered.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 28, 2026
Heidegger’s noble guests cavorted as milkmaids, chimney sweeps, gypsies, “Indian kings” and even a “nude” Adam wearing a body stocking and fig leaves.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026
The sight of teams slumped on the turf and opposing managers stunned while Ferguson and his players cavorted on the sidelines became a constant narrative as a great team achieved great successes.
From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2025
On “the beach”—an open stretch of snow between the parking lot and the lifts—skiers cavorted over pony kegs and hibachi grills.
From Slate ● Dec. 20, 2023
Myrish carpets covered the floor instead of rushes, and in one comer a hundred fabulous beasts cavorted in bright paints on a carved screen from the Summer Isles.
From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin
But Mr. Lithgow’s performance is infused with a sneaky playfulness evoking the “broken boy,” as Jessie puts it, still cavorting in the hulk of an elderly man.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 24, 2026
The challenge for Democrats is that the district doesn’t just resemble Behn’s Nashville-based turf that features hipsters rolling their eyes at bachelorette parties cavorting on pedal bars.
From Slate ● Dec. 2, 2025
The official trailer for the sequel shows the chirpy red-capped Italian plumber cavorting with his friends and nemeses in a colourful intergalactic universe.
From Barron's ● Nov. 13, 2025
At the age of 80, he's still cavorting around the world, playing sold out shows, recording new music and even writing a book about his beloved model train set.
From BBC ● Jun. 24, 2025
It has roses on it and maidens cavorting in the glen.
From "Angela's Ashes: A Memoir" by Frank McCourt
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