Meaning & use
moonwalk
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
A dance step in which the performer glides backward across the floor while appearing to walk forward, made famous by Michael Jackson.
Grammar: Countable; the plural is moonwalks. Usually in do or perform the moonwalk.
Patterns
- do the moonwalk
- perform a moonwalk
- a perfect moonwalk
He showed us the moonwalk he had been practicing all week.
Jackson's moonwalk during the 1983 television special stunned viewers around the world.
She ended the dance with a smooth moonwalk across the stage.
nouncountabletechnical
An act of walking on the surface of the Moon.
Grammar: Countable; usually singular and often with the, referring to a particular historic event.
Patterns
- the first moonwalk
- a moonwalk on the lunar surface
Neil Armstrong's moonwalk in 1969 was watched by millions of people.
The astronauts' moonwalk on the lunar surface lasted just over two hours.
verbintransitiveinformal
To glide across the floor using the moonwalk dance step.
Grammar: No object; often followed by a phrase saying where, such as across the floor.
Patterns
- moonwalk across the floor/stage
- moonwalk past someone
The groom moonwalked across the dance floor at the wedding.
A street performer moonwalked past the crowd to loud cheers.
Word forms
| third person singular | moonwalks |
|---|---|
| past tense | moonwalked |
| past participle | moonwalked |
| -ing form | moonwalking |
Common combinations
- do the moonwalk
- My brother can do the moonwalk surprisingly well.
- practice the moonwalk
- She practiced the moonwalk in front of the mirror for hours.
- moonwalk across the stage
- The singer moonwalked across the stage as the crowd screamed.
Word family
- moonwalker noun
- A person who performs the moonwalk, or who has walked on the Moon.
- moonwalking noun
- The activity of performing the moonwalk dance step.
Commonly confused: moonwalk or jaywalk?
moonwalk vs jaywalk
Jaywalking means crossing a road illegally or carelessly; a moonwalk is a dance glide or a walk on the Moon.
Practice
The ___ became world-famous after Michael Jackson performed it during a televised concert in 1983.
Choose one answer.
The dance move Michael Jackson made famous is the moonwalk; the other words are a gem, the Moon setting, and moonlight.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “moonwalk”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.