prance
Americanverb (used without object)
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prances,
present (3rd person singular)
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pranced,
past participle, past
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prancing
present participle
-
to spring from the hind legs; to move by springing, as a horse.
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to ride on a horse doing this.
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to ride gaily, proudly, or insolently.
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to move or go in an elated manner; cavort.
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to dance or move in a lively or spirited manner; caper.
verb (used with object)
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prances,
present (3rd person singular)
-
pranced,
past participle, past
-
prancing
present participle
noun
verb
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(intr) to swagger or strut
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(intr) to caper, gambol, or dance about
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(intr)
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(of a horse) to move with high lively springing steps
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to ride a horse that moves in this way
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-
(tr) to cause to prance
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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prancesimple
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prancessimple
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have prancedperfect
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has prancedperfect
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am prancingprogressive
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are prancingprogressive
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is prancingprogressive
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have been prancingperfect progressive
-
has been prancingperfect progressive
Past
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prancedsimple
-
had prancedperfect
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was prancingprogressive
-
were prancingprogressive
-
had been prancingperfect progressive
Future
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."
Vocabulary lists containing prance
Horsin' Around
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Charlotte's Web
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This Feb. 29: 15 Words for "Leap"
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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:
Somewhere between Jacob Riis and Charlie Chaplin, Murillo offers a knowing but escapist prance through need.
From New York Times ● Jan. 12, 2023
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
If pandemic dating requires I prance an imaginary catwalk in the parking lot of McDonald’s, then I’m out.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 20, 2021
“Yours truly trusts that a modicum of caution will he exercised in the prance, to prevent delivery of uncomfortable blows to the posterior of the forequarters?”
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
Near a resort pool and on a narrow balcony, she prances around in a variety of adorable outfits including a pair of custom bedazzled hot pink heel roller skates.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 3, 2026
Watch Weymouth’s perfect, tiny pointed-toe prances, adding soft punctuation to the beat.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 19, 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
I yell as she prances into the infield.
From "The Running Dream" by Wendelin Van Draanen
Though Francesco is only a month into his journey as a traveling cast member, he pranced about the ring Wednesday with the confidence of a seasoned ringmaster.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 19, 2026
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
As a crowd of spectators cheered, some of the sheep pranced.
From New York Times ● Jan. 21, 2024
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
Mr. Whiskers pranced around my feet in the snow, batting at a clothespin that had tumbled out of the laundry basket.
From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson
He was prancing about and really getting into it.
From Salon ● Jul. 31, 2026
On May 14, almost exactly 43 years later, the track was No. 1 again, prancing to the top of Spotify’s global chart following the release of the biopic “Michael.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 3, 2026
The Luce "looks like anything but a car from the prancing horse", he added.
From BBC ● May 30, 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
She began prancing boldly and pecked at the air like a boxer taking punches at an imaginary foe.
From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood
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.
