cavorting
Americanadjective
-
romping or capering playfully about; frolicking.
Here you can see Arctic life up close—snowy owls, white foxes, cavorting polar bear cubs, and the amazing sled dogs.
-
behaving in a high-spirited, playful way.
During a game of musical statues, the shy boy stood motionless in the middle of the cavorting group.
-
partying or behaving in an unrestrained way, often with the implication of sexual activity.
noun
Etymology
Origin of cavorting
First recorded in 1835–45; cavort ( def. ) + -ing 2 ( def. ) for the adjective senses; cavort ( def. ) + -ing 1 ( def. ) for the noun sense
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.
Cavorting with death is a common Western pastime, in the way I might go to brunch or a museum.
From New York Times • Sep. 26, 2017
Other Breeders’ Cup winners likely to take their categories are Beholder, winner of the Distaff, taking the older dirt female Eclipse over Cavorting and Stellar Wind; Drefong, winner of the Sprint, besting A.P.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 5, 2017
Cavorting in front of animated scenery, Elmo travels the world, conjuring playmates like an about-to-be married penguin in full bridal regalia or a villainous table-tennis-playing octopus.
From New York Times • Sep. 13, 2012
Cavorting and clowning on two custom-built circular stepladders that help equalize their heights, the two jolly up the Upstairs at the Duplex, a pair of gleeful grigs.
From Time Magazine Archive
Wallowing on the daisy-powdered turf, Clutching at the sunlight, Cavorting in the shadow.
From Goblins and Pagodas by Fletcher, John Gould
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.
