gauntlet

¹ American  

[gawnt-lit, gahnt-] / ˈgɔnt lɪt, ˈgɑnt- /

noun

1. a medieval glove, as of mail or plate, worn by a knight in armor to protect the hand.

2. a glove with an extended cuff for the wrist.

3. the cuff itself.

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idioms

1. take up the gauntlet / glove,

   1. to accept a challenge to fight.

      He was always willing to take up the gauntlet for a good cause.

   2. to show one's defiance.

2. throw down the gauntlet / glove,

   1. to challenge.

   2. to defy.

gauntlet ² American  

[gawnt-lit, gahnt-] / ˈgɔnt lɪt, ˈgɑnt- /

noun

1. a former punishment, chiefly military, in which the offender was made to run between two rows of men who struck at him with switches or weapons as he passed.

2. the two rows of men administering this punishment.

3. an attack from two or all sides.

4. trying conditions; an ordeal.

5. gantlet.

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verb (used with object)

1. gantlet.

idioms

1. run the gauntlet, to suffer severe criticism or tribulation.

gauntlet ¹ British  

/ ˈɡɔːntlɪt /

noun

1. a punishment in which the victim is forced to run between two rows of men who strike at him as he passes: formerly a military punishment

2. 1. to suffer this punishment

   2. to endure an onslaught or ordeal, as of criticism

3. a testing ordeal; trial

4. a variant spelling of gantlet 1

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gauntlet ² British  

/ ˈɡɔːntlɪt /

noun

1. a medieval armoured leather glove

2. a heavy glove with a long cuff

3. to accept a challenge

4. to offer a challenge

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gauntlet More Idioms  

1. see run the gauntlet; throw down the gauntlet.

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Other Word Forms

• gauntleted adjective
• ungauntleted adjective

Etymology

Origin of gauntlet¹

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English gauntelet, gauntlet, from Old French gantelet, diminutive of gant “glove,” from Germanic want- (unrecorded); compare Old Norse vǫttr

Origin of gauntlet²

First recorded in 1670–80; alteration of gantlope

Explanation

A gauntlet is a glove covered in steel that was worn in suits of armor, but it also means punishment or, when "throwing down the gauntlet," a challenge. Gauntlet comes from the Old French word for "glove," which was thrown down as a symbol of a challenge. “Running the gauntlet” is an old military form of punishment in which the victim runs between two rows of men wearing armored gloves, who beat him as he passes through the lines. Today, if someone makes you run the gauntlet, they won’t really strike you with armored gloves, but they'll probably make you do something miserable.

Example Sentences

Between those visions lies a formidable scientific and commercial gauntlet.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 28, 2026

Yet even as she threw down the gauntlet, Jackson sounded pessimistic about a course correction.

From Slate • Mar. 17, 2026

In the hoopla of Koy breaking his own audience record at the venue, Iglesias crashed the show, presented his friend with a plaque and laid down the gauntlet in front of 17,500 fans.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 5, 2026

Whether the indexes finally break through will likely be determined by this week’s Federal Open Market Committee meeting and a gauntlet of earnings reports.

From Barron's • Jan. 27, 2026

“I kind of threw down the gauntlet as much as a little kid can, and told them ‘I don’t want to live with either one of you,”’ he recalls.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel