Standard Lemma guide

prance

noun · verb · 8 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈpɹɑːns/
  • Received-Pronunciation: [ˈphɹwɑːns]
  • Australia, New-Zealand, South: /ˈpɹɐːns/
  • Australia, New-Zealand, South: [ˈphɹwɐ̞ːns]
  • rhymes with -ɑːns
  • Australia, Canada, US: /ˈpɹæns/ without æ-raising
  • Australia, Canada, US: [ˈphɹwæns] without æ-raising
  • Midlands, Northern-England: /ˈpɹans/
  • Midlands, Northern-England: [ˈphɹwans] ~ [ˈphɹwäns]
  • Scotland: /ˈpɾans/
  • Scotland: [ˈphɾäns]
  • Canada, US: /ˈpɹæns/
  • Canada, US: [ˈphɹweə̯ns] ~ [ˈphɹwɛə̯ns]
  • Australian: /ˈpɹæːns/
  • Australian: [ˈphɹweːns] ~ [ˈphɹwɛːns]
  • General-American: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -æns
  • Wales: /ˈpɾans/
  • Wales: /ˈpɾaːns/
  • CMU ARPABET: P R AE1 N S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A prancing movement.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To spring forward on the hind legs.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To strut about in a showy manner.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: colloquial, figuratively

Examples

  • John's daughter was prancing about the sitting room, practicing for her school dance.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

a proud stiff pompous gait

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: strut, swagger

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: gait

5

verb

Meaning 5

to walk with a lofty proud gait, often in an attempt to impress others

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • He struts around like a rooster in a hen house

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: tittup, swagger, ruffle, strut, sashay, cock

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: walk

6

verb

Meaning 6

ride a horse such that it springs and bounds forward

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: ride horseback

7

verb

Meaning 7

cause (a horse) to bound spring forward

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: ride, sit

8

verb

Meaning 8

spring forward on the hind legs

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The young horse was prancing in the meadow

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: travel, go, move, locomote

History

Etymology

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”).

Across languages

Translations

41 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: اِسْتَنَاصَ (istanāṣa) — of a horse
  • Arabic: نَاصَ (nāṣa) — of a horse
  • Bulgarian: изправям се на задни крака (izpravjam se na zadni kraka) — of a horse
  • Catalan: alzinar — of a horse
  • Catalan: encabritar — of a horse
  • Chinese Mandarin: 騰躍 /腾跃 — of a horse
  • Danish: stejle — of a horse
  • Dutch: steigeren — of a horse
  • Esperanto: pranci — of a horse
  • French: se cabrer — of a horse
  • Italian: impennare — of a horse
  • Italian: fare un'impennata — of a horse
  • Occitan: se cabrar — of a horse
  • Occitan: se quilhar — of a horse
  • Portuguese: empinar — of a horse
  • Russian: встава́ть на дыбы́ (vstavátʹ na dybý) — of a horse
  • Russian: станови́ться на дыбы́ (stanovítʹsja na dybý) — of a horse
  • Russian: встать на дыбы́ (vstatʹ na dybý) — of a horse
  • Spanish: encabritarse — of a horse
  • Spanish: escarcear — of a horse
  • Turkish: şahlanmak — of a horse
  • Turkish: şaha kalkmak — of a horse
  • Welsh: ymgodi — of a horse
  • Welsh: ymsythu — of a horse
  • Bulgarian: ходя важно (hodja važno) — to strut
  • Catalan: presumir — to strut
  • Danish: spankulere — to strut
  • Dutch: paraderen — to strut
  • French: parader — to strut
  • Māori: pīkarikari — to strut
  • Norwegian: sprade — to strut
  • Occitan: se palaissar — to strut
  • Occitan: se pavonar — to strut
  • Occitan: s'espompir — to strut
  • Portuguese: pavonear-se — to strut
  • Russian: ва́жничать (vážničatʹ) — to strut
  • Russian: гарцева́ть (garcevátʹ) — to strut
  • Spanish: pavonearse — to strut
  • Spanish: alardear — to strut
  • Turkish: kasılmak — to strut
  • Welsh: prancio — to strut