Meaning & use
danced
Last updated
“danced” is a form of “dance”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbintransitive
Moved your body rhythmically, usually to music.
Grammar: No object: you dance, or dance to music. You cannot 'dance something' unless you mean a specific dance style (e.g., dance a waltz).
Patterns
- danced to music
- danced with someone
- danced for hours
They danced all night at the wedding.
She danced to her favorite song.
He danced with his daughter at the party.
verbtransitive
Performed a particular type of dance.
Grammar: Takes an object: dance a waltz, dance the tango.
Patterns
- danced a waltz
- danced the tango
They danced a traditional folk dance.
She danced the lead role in Swan Lake.
Word forms
| base form | dance |
|---|---|
| third person singular | dances |
| present participle | dancing |
| past tense | danced |
| past participle | danced |
Common combinations
- danced all night
- They danced all night and didn't get home until dawn.
- danced to the music
- The children danced to the music happily.
- danced with joy
- She danced with joy when she heard the good news.
- danced around the room
- He danced around the room, full of energy.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
Commonly confused: danced or dance?
danced vs dance
Dance is the base form or noun; danced is only the past tense or past participle.
Practice
Last night, they ______ until the early hours.
Choose one answer.
The past tense 'danced' is correct because 'last night' shows past time. 'Dance' is the base form, 'dancing' is the -ing form, and 'dances' is present tense for he/she/it.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “danced”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.