moonwalk
noun · verb
Simple meaning
A kind of dance step in which the dancer seems to be sliding on the spot.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
moonwawkSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈmunwɔk
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
dance
A kind of dance step in which the dancer seems to be sliding on the spot
“Michael Jackson perfected the moonwalk in the 1980s.”
dance
A dance move in which the dancer slides backwards though the feet move as if walking forwards; the backslide.
dance
A dance style in which the dancer appears to be moving in a low gravity environment.
A barangay of Parañaque, Metro Manila, Philippines.
verb
intransitive
To walk in a manner that is similar to the moonwalk dance style; to move while sliding backwards as though the feet move as if one was walking forwards.
intransitive
To walk on the surface of the Moon.
intransitive
To walk in leaps, like on the Moon or on other low gravity surfaces.
intransitivedance
To perform the moonwalk.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- C2 · Proficient (estimated)
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: A kind of dance step in which the dancer seems to be sliding on the spot
Used this way, moonwalk is a common word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
“Michael Jackson perfected the moonwalk in the 1980s.”
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Usage note
It most often appears in the pattern “moonwalk in …”, which is worth copying when you use it.
Natural pattern: moonwalk in …
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use moonwalk
- “Michael Jackson perfected the moonwalk in the 1980s.”noun
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.