waltz
Americannoun
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waltzes
plural
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a ballroom dance, in moderately fast triple meter, in which the dancers revolve in perpetual circles, taking one step to each beat.
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a piece of music for, or in the rhythm of, this dance.
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Informal. an easy victory or accomplishment.
The game was a waltz—we won by four touchdowns. The math exam was a waltz.
adjective
verb (used without object)
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waltzes,
present (3rd person singular)
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waltzed,
past participle, past
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waltzing
present participle
-
to dance or move in a waltz step or rhythm.
an invitation to waltz.
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Informal.
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to move breezily or casually.
to waltz in late for dinner.
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to progress easily or successfully (often followed bythrough ).
to waltz through an exam.
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verb (used with object)
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waltzes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
waltzed,
past participle, past
-
waltzing
present participle
-
to lead (a partner) in dancing a waltz.
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Informal. to move or lead briskly and easily.
He waltzed us right into the governor's office.
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to fill (a period of time) with waltzing (often followed by away, through, etc.).
They waltzed the night away.
noun
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a ballroom dance in triple time in which couples spin around as they progress round the room
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a piece of music composed for or in the rhythm of this dance
verb
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to dance or lead (someone) in or as in a waltz
he waltzed her off her feet
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(intr) to move in a sprightly and self-assured manner
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informal (intr) to succeed easily
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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waltzsimple
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waltzessimple
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have waltzedperfect
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has waltzedperfect
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am waltzingprogressive
-
are waltzingprogressive
-
is waltzingprogressive
-
have been waltzingperfect progressive
-
has been waltzingperfect progressive
Past
-
waltzedsimple
-
had waltzedperfect
-
was waltzingprogressive
-
were waltzingprogressive
-
had been waltzingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of waltz
1775–85; back formation from German Walzer a waltz (taken as walz + -er 1 ), derivative of walzen to roll, dance; compare obsolete English walt unsteady, dial. walter to roll
Explanation
A dance in which two dancers move in triple time as they turn together in circles is called a waltz, and it's also the name of music that's written for that sort of dance. If you aspire to be a competitive ballroom dancer, you'll need to master the waltz. Waltz is also a verb, so couples may waltz around the ballroom while the band plays a waltz. When you waltz, you face your dance partner with one hand on their waist or shoulder and the other clasping their hand. The two of you move in a gliding spin. It its earliest days, the waltz was considered a bit shocking—previous dances were "open," with couples side by side, rather than "closed," with dancers facing each other.
Vocabulary lists containing waltz
Western Europe - Introductory
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Curtain Call: Dance and Theater Terms
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Western Europe - Middle School and High School
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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:
It’s easy to see why Ken Paxton thought he could waltz right into the role of senator from Texas.
From Salon ● Aug. 31, 2026
My stomach was in knots as I pictured myself clad in a lemon chiffon dress looking like a dollop of meringue, doing the Viennese waltz — something resembling a Centrum Silver commercial.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
And wow did they waltz right through that open door.
From Slate ● May 23, 2026
For their first dance, they had practised a traditional waltz.
From BBC ● Apr. 18, 2026
Thunderous applause exploded from the big top, and the band slid seamlessly into the Gounod waltz.
From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen
Wallace soon waltzes into the room to take over, having accessorised his usual clothes with a larger-than-life sparkling red bow tie.
From BBC ● Dec. 7, 2024
No wonder Woodward is still writing all these books; the guy’s just trying to enjoy his canapés, and the country’s top military officer waltzes over to share choice content like this.
From Slate ● Oct. 19, 2024
It waltzes right indoors, and right to the shiny refreshed kitchen and new family room, where it meets its dazzling friend teal.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 20, 2023
His mother, who was fond of playing Strauss waltzes on the family’s Blüthner piano, encouraged André’s musical studies, and as a 6-year-old he took up the piano after a flirtation with the violin.
From New York Times ● Jul. 14, 2023
When she listened to the waltzes of Pietro Crespi she felt the same desire to weep that she had had in adolescence, as if time and harsh lessons had meant nothing.
From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
A group of break dancers waltzed through the stage as rapper Shaboozey joined Caton in the vocals, who used a guitar similar to the one his character used in the movie.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 15, 2026
Ukraine's newly installed defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov waltzed on stage like a stand-up comedian to take the mic in front of journalists in Kyiv as a sleek slideshow zoomed across a map of the country.
From Barron's ● Mar. 12, 2026
Back in March, however, security staff waltzed in and confiscated four standalone PCs that were networked to an inkjet printer, one after another, leaving us with typewriters to type our legal work.
From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2024
Saka waltzed through a static Hammers defence to score his second after the break, before Declan Rice made it 6-0 with a rocket of a shot from distance against his former club.
From BBC ● Feb. 11, 2024
June waltzed up with her hand stuck out so I could admire her ring.
From "The Secret Life of Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd
Six celebrities are waltzing into the ballroom wonderland on Thursday, for the Strictly Christmas Special.
From BBC ● Dec. 24, 2025
The Tennessee Titans trailed the Arizona Cardinals 21-3 at one point, and the deficit was about to get even bigger when running back Emari Demercado was waltzing toward the end zone for a 71-yard score.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2025
The courtly gentleman guided women around the floor to big band standards with all the aplomb of teenage boys waltzing at a cotillion dance they’ve been forced to attend by their parents.
From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2025
What gives with this senescent New Year’s tradition of still waltzing 200 years since the birth of the dance’s greatest maker, Johann Strauss II?
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 31, 2024
Lefty began waltzing Desdemona around, European-style; he waltzed her outside, across the yard, over to the cocoonery, and back under the grape arbor, and she laughed and covered her mouth with her hand.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
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.
