trance

1 of 2

noun

ˈtran(t)s 

1

: stupor, daze

2

: a sleeplike state (as of deep hypnosis) usually characterized by partly suspended animation with diminished or absent sensory and motor activity

3

: a state of profound abstraction or absorption

trancelike

ˈtran(t)s-ˌlīk 

adjective

trance

2 of 2

verb

tranced; trancing

transitive verb

: entrance, enrapture

Synonyms

Noun

• daydreaming
• reverie
• revery
• study
• woolgathering

Examples of trance in a Sentence

Noun

The spiritual healer fell into a trance.

He was staring out the window in a trance.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

But even in their meditative trance, the Greens, then renting in Manhattan, noticed a few minor drawbacks: The 1,300-square-foot apartment lacked character, and the overall vibe felt somewhat antiseptic—think black hardware, white kitchen cabinets, and subway tiles in the bathroom. —Vaishnavi Nayel Talawadekar, Architectural Digest, 10 Oct. 2024

The trance festival in southern Israel’s Negev Desert was one target of the militant group’s rampage in which about 1,200 people were killed and 250 others kidnapped and taken to Gaza. —Tamar Michaelis, Zahid Mahmood and Helen Regan, CNN, 3 Oct. 2024

And her superpower was kind of like emotional - trances and stuff like that. —Jim Ryan, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024

The track falls somewhere between hard techno and trance, elevating heart rates with its driving beat and sharp percussion. —Katie Bain, Billboard, 11 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English traunce, from Anglo-French transe death, coma, rapture, from transir to depart, die, from Latin transire to cross, pass by — more at transient

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

circa 1598, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

trance

noun

ˈtran(t)s

1

: stupor sense 1

2

: a sleeplike state (as of deep hypnosis)

3

: a state of being so deeply absorbed in something as to be unaware of one's surroundings

trancelike

-ˌlīk

adjective

Medical Definition

trance

noun

ˈtran(t)s 

1

: a sleeplike altered state of consciousness (as of deep hypnosis) usually characterized by partly suspended animation with diminished or absent sensory and motor activity and subsequent lack of recall

2

: a state of profound abstraction or absorption

trancelike

-ˌlīk 

adjective

or trance-like

a trancelike state