Meaning & use
prancing
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“prancing” is a form of “prance”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meaning
verbintransitive
Moving with high, springy steps, often to show off or express excitement; present participle of prance.
Grammar: No object; often followed by around, about, or along.
Patterns
- prance around
- prance about
- prance along
The horse was prancing around the field, full of energy.
The children came prancing into the room, eager to show their new toys.
He was prancing about the stage like a rock star.
Word forms
| base form | prance |
|---|---|
| third person singular | prances |
| past tense | pranced |
| past participle | pranced |
| -ing form | prancing |
Common combinations
- prancing around
- The puppy was prancing around the garden.
- prancing horse
- The prancing horse is a famous logo for a car company.
- prancing about
- Stop prancing about and sit down!
Synonyms and how they differ
- capering
- Similar to prancing but often implies playful skipping rather than showy movement.
- strutting
- Walking proudly with a stiff, arrogant step; 'prancing' is more springy and lively.
- frolicking
- Playing happily and energetically; 'prancing' can be more about showing off.
Word family
- prance verb
- To move with high, springy steps.
- prancer noun
- A person or animal that prances (rare).
Commonly confused: prancing or prancing?
prancing vs prancing
Not to be confused with 'pouncing' (jumping on prey) or 'prancing' (moving showily).
Practice
Which sentence uses 'prancing' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Prancing' describes a horse moving with high steps, so option B is correct. Option A uses 'prancing' instead of 'pouncing' (jumping on prey). Option C is grammatically wrong: 'prancing' needs a helping verb like 'was'. Option D uses 'prancing' as a transitive verb, which it is not.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “prancing”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.