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• gallant
  gallant

  adjective

  brave, spirited, noble-minded, or chivalrous.
• Gallant
  Gallant

  noun

  Mavis, 1922–2014, Canadian short-story writer.

gallant

¹ American  

[gal-uhnt, guh-lant, -lahnt, gal-uhnt, guh-lant, -lahnt, gal-uhnt, guh-lant, -lahnt] / ˈgæl ənt, gəˈlænt, -ˈlɑnt, ˈgæl ənt, gəˈlænt, -ˈlɑnt, ˈgæl ənt, gəˈlænt, -ˈlɑnt /

adjective

1. brave, spirited, noble-minded, or chivalrous.

   a gallant knight; a gallant rescue attempt.

   Synonyms:

   intrepid, daring, bold, heroic, courageous, valorous

2. exceptionally polite and attentive to others, especially to women; courtly.

   Synonyms:

   courteous, chivalrous

3. stately; grand.

   a gallant pageant.

4. showy, colorful, or stylish, as in dress; magnificent.

5. amorous; amatory.

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noun

gallants plural

1. a brave, noble-minded, or chivalrous man.

2. a man exceptionally attentive to women.

3. a stylish and dashing man.

4. a suitor or lover.

5. a paramour.

verb (used with object)

1. to court or act as a lover of (a woman).

2. to escort (a woman).

verb (used without object)

1. to attend or pay court as a gallant.

Gallant ² American  

[gal-uhnt] / ˈgæl ənt /

noun

1. Mavis, 1922–2014, Canadian short-story writer.

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gallant British  

adjective

1. brave and high-spirited; courageous and honourable; dashing

   a gallant warrior

2. (of a man) attentive to women; chivalrous

3. imposing; dignified; stately

   a gallant ship

4. archaic showy in dress

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noun

1. a woman's lover or suitor

2. a dashing or fashionable young man, esp one who pursues women

3. a brave, high-spirited, or adventurous man

verb

1. to court or flirt (with)

2. (tr) to attend or escort (a woman)

Synonym Usage

See brave.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• gallantness
  noun
• supergallantness
  noun
• quasi-gallant
  adjective
• supergallant
  adjective
• ungallant
  adjective
• gallantly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• gallants
  plural

Etymology

Origin of gallant

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English gala(u)nt, from Old French galant, present participle of galer “to amuse oneself, make merry,” from unattested Gallo-Romance walāre, derivative of unattested Frankish wala “good, happy”; see well ¹, weal ¹

Explanation

If you volunteer to remove a huge, hairy spider from your bathroom ceiling, your whole family will be grateful for your gallant actions. The adjective gallant means "heroic or brave." In the past, gallant was used to describe a man's behavior toward a woman, especially if he saved her from something or helped her with something she was unable to do on her own. It can still be used that way, but more often it describes any kind of bravery, and it is just as correct to describe a woman's bravery as gallant as it is a man's.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

gallant Gallant gallants

James and his teammates gave a gallant effort Saturday night at Crypto.com Arena, but the defending champion proved to be more than the Lakers could handle.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 9, 2026

The statement, from Major General Michael Onoja, a defence headquarters spokesman, said that the attack "resulted in the loss of a few brave and gallant soldiers", without disclosing a toll or who was killed.

From Barron's ● Apr. 9, 2026

Similarly, not all Faithfuls are gallant, as is confirmed by Michael Rapaport’s rabid behavior.

From Salon ● Jan. 28, 2026

It is alive, it exists, you know people who are gallant, have witnessed gallantry and understand at this point that it is deeply countercultural.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 1, 2026

No man had ever looked so gallant as her father, she thought.

From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith

“This week’s verdicts aren’t legally binding on future judges and juries, but the SF case vs Meta this summer is key,” wrote Gallant.

From Barron's ● Mar. 26, 2026

Like Mavis Gallant and Lawrence Durrell, Jhabvala set many stories within the international milieu of diplomats and civil servants.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 4, 2025

In 2022, Smucker’s sent a cease-and-desist letter to Gallant Tiger, a Minneapolis-based prepackaged sandwich startup, over the shape and packaging of its round crustless sandwiches.

From Salon ● Oct. 15, 2025

Khan denies any sexual misconduct and said the warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant are based on solid evidence that has been reviewed by ICC judges.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2025

I picked her up, not in front of me, like Prince Gallant out of some storybook, but over one shoulder, the way you carry a sack of potatoes.

From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss

By Part 3, we are in Renaissance France, where gallants fight with one-handed swords in 1547.

From New York Times ● Aug. 11, 2012

By the 16th century, Italian gallants had developed a light, delicately balanced rapier with the sharp point that enabled them to thrust instead of slice with the blade.

From Time Magazine Archive

Instead of sightseeing or sambaing in nightclubs with gallants from the Chamber of Commerce, they flew directly to Parana's coffee-raising center, 200 miles inland from Sao Paulo.

From Time Magazine Archive

The periwigged gallants, for instance, have crude methods of bathing.

From Time Magazine Archive

These men, a picked striking force of gallants, resumed the onslaughts of the previous afternoon.

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White

Related Words

• courageous
• courtly
• fearless
• gritty
• heroic
• honorable
• noble
• plucky
• quixotic
• valiant