prance

American  

[prans, prahns] / præns, prɑns /

verb (used without object)

• prances,
  present (3rd person singular)
• pranced,
  past participle,  past
• prancing
  present participle

1. to spring from the hind legs; to move by springing, as a horse.

2. to ride on a horse doing this.

3. to ride gaily, proudly, or insolently.

4. to move or go in an elated manner; cavort.

   Synonyms:

   frisk, frolic, romp, skip, leap, gambol

5. to dance or move in a lively or spirited manner; caper.

   Synonyms:

   frisk, frolic, romp, skip, leap, gambol

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verb (used with object)

• prances,
  present (3rd person singular)
• pranced,
  past participle,  past
• prancing
  present participle

1. to cause to prance.

noun

1. the act of prancing; a prancing movement.

prance British  

/ prɑːns /

verb

1. (intr) to swagger or strut

2. (intr) to caper, gambol, or dance about

3. (intr)

   1. (of a horse) to move with high lively springing steps

   2. to ride a horse that moves in this way

4. (tr) to cause to prance

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noun

1. the act or an instance of prancing

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• prancer
  noun
• prancingly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Participles

• prancing
  present
• pranced
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• prance
  simple
• prances
  simple
• have pranced
  perfect
• has pranced
  perfect
• am prancing
  progressive
• are prancing
  progressive
• is prancing
  progressive
• have been prancing
  perfect progressive
• has been prancing
  perfect progressive

Past

• pranced
  simple
• had pranced
  perfect
• was prancing
  progressive
• were prancing
  progressive
• had been prancing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will prance
  simple
• will have pranced
  perfect
• will be prancing
  progressive
• will have been prancing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of prance

1325–75; Middle English prauncen, praunsen (v.); akin to Danish (dial.) pransk spirited, said of a horse

Explanation

When you prance, you swagger around with exaggerated, proud movements. If you've seen many rock concerts, you've seen people prance around onstage. When people prance, they're showing off, strutting for the benefit of their audience. Horses prance too, with a gait that's also a little artificial, using high, springy steps. You might prance a little when you run up on stage to accept an award, and a show horse might be equally inclined to prance as it moves past the judges. The horse gait definition is the original meaning of prance, and it probably comes from the Middle English pranken, "to show off."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

prance prances pranced prancing

In the latter’s music video, Teasdale and Chambers unforgettably prance around in long, blue dresses while sporting lobster claw gloves.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 3, 2025

The performers joked with them and made sure to prance by their table during their numbers.

From Salon ● Dec. 9, 2022

Also, is it really necessary for him to prance on top of the dugout in the ninth inning disrupting the view of the fans?

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 19, 2022

Take away the athletes and there would be no one to watch the despots of sport dress up in their blazers and prance through the opening ceremonies.

From Washington Post ● Jul. 13, 2021

Annie watched Guiteau prance back and forth in front of a mirror.

From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow

But we come to love Ava’s BFF Danica, who prances into obvious death traps wearing flimsy silver mules.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 18, 2025

Mousseau said the team has grown close to some dogs, naming one Prancer because she excitedly prances around when she sees people.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 3, 2023

In The Unseen Queen, the BBC's beautiful documentary of family-filmed footage of the young princess, Lilibet prances and dances, pranks and laughs.

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2022

And sometimes Mitski’s charming prances around the stage in her flowy dress or pantomimed door-knocking in “Should’ve Been Me” warranted a snapshot.

From Washington Post ● Mar. 29, 2022

Scruffy, a checkered blue bow bobbing in his fur, prances up to the Four Paws Spa's arched grand entryway, where the Japanese prime minister's cat is secretly being held hostage by the evil Dr. Loofah.

From "Dog Squad" by Chris Grabenstein

I could see his wild imagination at work and his interest in being an entertainer as he pranced around the house doing Elvis impersonations.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 11, 2025

Pretty soon, Syd, with his funny feet, hockey stick legs, thick swishy tail, and ballerina-like moves, pranced down hallways and welcomed outsiders into his new neighborhood.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2025

Ramirez’s 4-year-old daughter - who pranced behind her mother, blowing bubbles and popping the ones that landed in her brown curls - has a lung condition.

From Washington Times ● Dec. 24, 2023

Jeudy pranced and preened in a squabble with Smith, the former Panthers star receiver and current NFL Network analyst, prior to the Broncos’ 19-8 loss at Kansas City last week.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 20, 2023

She wanted to get up and run, but she gathered her courage and pranced closer to him.

From "Julie of the Wolves" by Jean Craighead George

In some caves where enlightened paradise is depicted, it’s utopic: singers and dancers prancing in revelry.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026

He was prancing about and really getting into it.

From Salon ● Jul. 31, 2026

Yet the brand with the prancing horse logo took several years before deciding to throw its hat into the all-electric ring.

From Barron's ● May 26, 2026

Two prancing horses on the front perhaps a nod to the surrounding cattle-grazing and sugarcane fields.

From BBC ● Mar. 14, 2025

Then Tea Cake came prancing around her where she was and the song of the sigh flew out of the window and lit in the top of the pine trees.

From "Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston

Related Words

• gambol
• sashay
• strut
• swagger