dance hall
noun
1
: a large room set aside or suitable for dances
especially
: a public hall offering facilities for dancing
2
dancehall
ˈdan(t)s-ˌhȯl 
: a genre of Jamaican music derived from reggae in which an artist improvises vocals over a recorded or live beat
ˈdän(t)s-
… anyone who knew her or worked with her knows that she loves dancehall and has much respect and passion for the genre.—
Stephanie K
—often used before another nounStephanie Kdancehall music
A key form of symbolic capital obtainable in Jamaica is knowledge and possession of many Jamaican dancehall records.—Marvin Sterling
Marvin SterlingExamples of dance hall in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Mavado took the move personally, and the result was a rift that came to be known as the Gully-Gaza war, a beef that was generally fought on the airwaves and in dance halls.
—Natalie Meade, Rolling Stone, 16 June 2025
Homes, bars, and dance halls pulsed with sound in a discordant, desperate attempt to stave off death.
—Christina Coulter, People.com, 4 June 2025
There is plenty to see and do in Jamaica's vibrant capital city, from the must-visit Bob Marley Museum and the National Gallery of Jamaica to award-winning restaurants and buzzing dance halls.
—Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 3 June 2025
Make sure to duck into the town’s speakeasy-style bar, Canary, which was inspired by the town’s Prohibition-era dance halls.
—Mark Ellwood, AFAR Media, 30 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for dance hall
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Natalie Meade, Rolling Stone, 16 June 2025
Homes, bars, and dance halls pulsed with sound in a discordant, desperate attempt to stave off death.
—Christina Coulter, People.com, 4 June 2025
There is plenty to see and do in Jamaica's vibrant capital city, from the must-visit Bob Marley Museum and the National Gallery of Jamaica to award-winning restaurants and buzzing dance halls.
—Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 3 June 2025
Make sure to duck into the town’s speakeasy-style bar, Canary, which was inspired by the town’s Prohibition-era dance halls.
—Mark Ellwood, AFAR Media, 30 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for dance hall
Cite this Entry
“Dance hall.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dance%20hall. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share