dance
gb/dˈæns/ us/dˈæns/
A1
English
~ 2500
táncol, táncos rendezvény, bál, táncos buli, tánc, szökell, cikázik, félreugrik
VERB
A1
1
táncol
A1
Usage pattern:
to dance [to music/with someone]
They danced together at their wedding.
Együtt táncoltak az esküvőjükön.
We danced to our favorite song in the living room.
A kedvenc dalunkra táncoltunk a nappaliban.
She loves to dance whenever she hears jazz music.
The children danced around the bonfire.
He danced with his daughter at the party.
Learner examples
I like to dance to pop songs.
Szeretek popdalokra táncolni.
We dance every Friday night.
Minden péntek este táncolunk.
They dance together at school.
She can dance very well.
He dances when he is happy.
Common mistake:
Some learners confuse 'dance' (the action) with 'a dance' (the event). For example, 'I go dance' instead of 'I go dancing' or 'I go to a dance'.
Meaning
Move rhythmically to music
Collocations
dance to music
|dance with a partner
|dance all night
|learn to dance
|dance in the street
Synonyms
boogie (Informal term, often used for energetic or freestyle dancing.)
|
groove (Informal; emphasizes moving smoothly in rhythm with music.)
Antonyms
stand still (Opposite because it means not moving at all, especially when music is playing.)
Themes
arts
|entertainment
|daily life
|arts_entertainment
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To move your body and feet to music in a way that follows a rhythm.
To move the body and feet in a rhythmic way, usually following the sound of music.
NOUN
A2
2
Usage pattern:
[someone] goes to a dance
The high school is hosting a dance this Friday.
A középiskola ezen a pénteken iskolai bált tart.
We met at a community dance last summer.
Tavaly nyáron egy helyi táncos rendezvényen találkoztunk.
She wore her best dress to the dance.
The annual charity dance raised thousands of dollars.
They enjoyed the live band at the dance.
Learner examples
I will go to the school dance.
Elmegyek az iskolai bálra.
We had a big dance last week.
Múlt héten nagy táncos rendezvényünk volt.
My friends are at the dance now.
She is planning a dance for her birthday.
He met her at a dance.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'dance' (event) with 'dancing' (activity), saying 'I like going to dancing' instead of 'I like going to dances'.
Meaning
A social event with dancing
Collocations
school dance
|formal dance
|attend a dance
|organize a dance
Synonyms
ball (More formal; usually refers to an elegant event with dancing.)
|
party (Less specific; may include dancing but not necessarily the main activity.)
Antonyms
meeting (Opposite in the sense of being a formal gathering without dancing.)
Themes
arts
|entertainment
|social
|arts_entertainment
|relationships
Definition
A party or event where people dance to music.
A social gathering where people dance, often with music provided by a band or DJ.
NOUN
A2
3
tánc
A1
Usage pattern:
[someone] performs a dance
They performed a traditional folk dance on stage.
Hagyományos néptáncot adtak elő a színpadon.
The children learned a new dance for the recital.
A gyerekek egy új táncot tanultak a bemutatóra.
Ballet is a type of classical dance.
She created an original dance for the competition.
Hip-hop is his favorite style of dance.
Learner examples
I know a fun dance.
Ismerek egy jópofa táncot.
We learned a new dance in class.
Új táncot tanultunk az órán.
She did a beautiful dance.
The teacher showed us a dance.
He likes hip-hop dance.
Meaning
A series of rhythmic movements to music
Collocations
traditional dance
|folk dance
|modern dance
|perform a dance
Synonyms
routine (In performance contexts, refers to the planned sequence of movements.)
|
choreography (Technical term for the designed sequence of steps in a dance.)
Antonyms
stillness (Opposite as it means no movement at all.)
Themes
arts
|entertainment
|arts_entertainment
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A way of moving your body to music, often with special steps or style.
A set of movements performed in time with music, often following specific steps or styles.
VERB
B2
INFORMAL
4
Usage pattern:
to dance [around/away] from [something]
He danced out of the way just in time.
Éppen időben szökkent félre.
The boxer danced around his opponent.
A bokszoló fürgén szökellt az ellenfele körül.
She danced across the wet rocks without slipping.
Learner examples
He danced away from the ball.
Félreugrott a labda elől.
The cat danced around the table.
A macska fürgén cikázott az asztal körül.
She danced past the chairs.
Meaning
Move quickly or lightly (figurative)
Collocations
dance around the issue
|dance away from danger
Synonyms
skip (Similar light movement but often more playful or childlike.)
|
dart (Quick movement, usually sudden and direct.)
Antonyms
plod (Opposite because it means moving slowly and heavily.)
Themes
movement
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To move fast or lightly, not for dancing but for another reason like avoiding something.
To move quickly, lightly, or in an unpredictable way, often avoiding something.
Grammar
Dictionary form
dance
IPA
GB/dˈæns/
US/dˈæns/
Syllables & stress
dance (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (dance)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: dance
- Plural: dance, dances
Verb
- Base: dance
- 3rd Person Singular: dances
- Present Participle: dancing
- Past: danced
Word family
Forms
dances
noun
dancing
verb
danced
verb
Core family
dancer
noun A2
Related words
danceable
adjective
Expressions
all-singing, all-dancing
1/ˈɔl sˈɪŋɪŋ | ˈɔl dˈænsɪŋ/
idiom
informal
Having many features or functions
Used to describe something that has many impressive features or can do many things.
Examples
- It's an all-singing, all-dancing smartphone with every feature you could want.
- They launched an all-singing, all-dancing website for their new product.
dance around the issue
1/dˈæns ɚˈaʊnd ðə ˈɪʃu/
idiom
Avoid talking directly about something important
To avoid talking about something important or difficult by not giving a clear answer.
Examples
- Stop dancing around the issue and tell me what happened.
- The politician kept dancing around the issue during the interview.
lead someone a merry dance
1/lˈid sˈʌmwˌʌn ə mˈɛɹi dˈæns/
idiom
Make things difficult for someone over time
To cause someone problems by making them do many things or deal with many difficulties over time.
Examples
- He's been leading me a merry dance with all his last-minute changes.
- The suspect led police a merry dance before being caught.
rain dance
1/ɹˈeɪn dˈæns/
fixed phrase
Ritual done to bring rain
A traditional ceremony done by some cultures to ask for rain.
Examples
- The tribe performed a rain dance during the drought.
- He joked that we should do a rain dance to help the garden.