pan·to·mime
ˈpan-tə-ˌmīm 
1
2
a
: an ancient Roman dramatic performance featuring a solo dancer and a narrative chorus
b
: any of various dramatic or dancing performances in which a story is told by expressive bodily or facial movements of the performers
a ballet that is part dance and part pantomime
c
: a British theatrical entertainment of the Christmas season based on a nursery tale and featuring topical songs, tableaux, and dances
3
a
: conveyance of a story by bodily or facial movements especially in drama or dance
b
: the art or genre of conveying a story by bodily movements only
pantomimed; pantomiming
: to engage in pantomime
: to represent by pantomime
Synonyms
Examples of pantomime in a Sentence
Noun
In the game of charades, one player uses pantomime to represent a word or phrase that the other players have to try to guess.
We saw pantomimes at the fair.
a ballet that is part dance and part pantomime
Verb
He pantomimed someone talking on the phone.
Recent Examples on the Web
Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Oct. 2024
Both Annette as a character and Curtis’ pantomime take on her jolt us out of a movie Coppola has clearly conceived as a soulful, sensitive alternative to gaudy screen depictions of similar milieus, like Showgirls and Burlesque.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Sep. 2024
Jesse David Fox, Vulture, 11 Apr. 2024
Known for his sense of humor, Dempsey would entertain fans during rain delays, pantomiming baseball sequences.
—Paul McCardell, Baltimore Sun, 28 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pantomime 
Noun
The performances are mostly pantomime backed by narration from the real heroes, with highlights including Ellis’ crazed intensity as a mermaid turned witch, Rex’s sad desperation as a man battling nature and an increasingly anxious Richardson as the world’s biggest Bassnectar fan.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Oct. 2024
Both Annette as a character and Curtis’ pantomime take on her jolt us out of a movie Coppola has clearly conceived as a soulful, sensitive alternative to gaudy screen depictions of similar milieus, like Showgirls and Burlesque.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Sep. 2024
Verb
After calmly letting Larry extrapolate, Jerry pantomimes a short beep.
—Jesse David Fox, Vulture, 11 Apr. 2024
Known for his sense of humor, Dempsey would entertain fans during rain delays, pantomiming baseball sequences.
—Paul McCardell, Baltimore Sun, 28 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pantomime
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pantomime.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near pantomime
Cite this Entry
“Pantomime.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pantomime. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
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