Skip to the word

Added 10 October 2026

prance

/ˈpɹɑːns/ noun

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about prance at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

A proud stiff pompous gait.

verb

To walk with a lofty proud gait, often in an attempt to impress others.
He struts around like a rooster in a hen house
Spring forward on the hind legs.
The young horse was prancing in the meadow
Cause (a horse) to bound spring forward.

Origin

From Middle English prancen, prauncen (“to prance”, literally “to show off”), variant of Middle English pranken (“to prank”), thus probably from the same ultimate root as prank. Cognate with Bavarian prangezen, prangssen (“to put on airs”), Alemannic German pranzen (“to strut”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

Back to today's word