pantomime

[ pan-tuh-mahym ]

/ ˈpæn təˌmaɪm /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: pantomime / pantomimed / pantomiming on Thesaurus.com

noun

the art or technique of conveying emotions, actions, feelings, etc., by gestures without speech.

a play or entertainment in which the performers express themselves mutely by gestures, often to the accompaniment of music.

significant gesture without speech.

an actor in dumb show, as in ancient Rome.

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), pan·to·mimed, pan·to·mim·ing.

to represent or express in pantomime.

verb (used without object), pan·to·mimed, pan·to·mim·ing.

to express oneself in pantomime.

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of pantomime

1580–90; earlier pantomimus<Latin <Greek pantómīmos.See panto-, mime

OTHER WORDS FROM pantomime

pan·to·mim·ic

[pan-tuh-mim-ik], /ˌpæn təˈmɪm ɪk/, pan·to·mim·i·cal, adjectivepan·to·mim·i·cal·ly, adverbpan·to·mim·ic·ry, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use pantomime in a sentence

The big lunk made a grab at the girl, and I whipped out my skean and pantomimed.
The Door Through Space|Marion Zimmer Bradley
He laughed and shook his head in a well-pantomimed incredulity, representing popular opinion outside.
The Magnetic North|Elizabeth Robins (C. E. Raimond)
Earnestly we pantomimed stretcher beds—our own stretcher beds—and reposeful slumber thereon.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 156, Jan. 29, 1919|Various
Sometimes he turned and pantomimed as ably and fiercely as a man being stung by a thousand hornets.
Wounds in the rain|Stephen Crane

The guide was pantomimed by our fat man for a conservative pace becoming the hot morning and the difficult route.
Lippincott's Magazine, Vol. 26, August, 1880|Various

British Dictionary definitions for pantomime

pantomime

/ (ˈpæntəˌmaɪm) /

noun

(in Britain)

a kind of play performed at Christmas time characterized by farce, music, lavish sets, stock roles, and topical jokesSometimes shortened to: panto
(as modifier)a pantomime horse

a theatrical entertainment in which words are replaced by gestures and bodily actions

action without words as a means of expression

(in ancient Rome) an actor in a dumb show

informal, mainly British a confused or farcical situation

verb

another word for mime (def. 5)

Derived forms of pantomime

pantomimic (ˌpæntəˈmɪmɪk), adjectivepantomimist (ˈpæntəˌmaɪmɪst), noun

Word Origin for pantomime

C17: via Latin from Greek pantomīmos; see panto-, mime

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

pantomime

Origin of pantomime

OTHER WORDS FROM pantomime

Words related to pantomime

How to use pantomime in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for pantomime

Derived forms of pantomime

Word Origin for pantomime