gallant

¹

[ adjective gal-uhnt guh-lant, -lahnt, gal-uhnt noun guh-lant, -lahnt, gal-uhnt; verb guh-lant, -lahnt ]

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.

noun

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

[ gal-uhnt ]

noun

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

gallant

adjective

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

   a gallant warrior

2. ɡəˈlæntˈɡælənt (of a man) attentive to women; chivalrous
3. imposing; dignified; stately

   a gallant ship

4. archaic.
   showy in dress

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. whenintr, usually foll by with to court or flirt (with)
2. tr to attend or escort (a woman)

Derived Forms

• ˈgallantness, noun
• ˈgallantly, adverb

Other Words From

• gal·lant·ly adverb
• gal·lant·ness noun
• qua·si-gal·lant adjective
• su·per·gal·lant adjective
• su·per·gal·lant·ness noun
• un·gal·lant adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of gallant¹

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”; well ¹, weal ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of gallant¹

C15: from Old French galant, from galer to make merry, from gale enjoyment, pleasure, of Germanic origin; related to Old English wela weal ²

Synonym Study

See brave.

Example Sentences

Before the games began, he a place in Australian sporting history with a gallant show of sportsmanship.

From Washington Post

Now he has made a gallant return to the auction house with a piece of art that the buyer can actually touch.

From Quartz

Far rarer than the invocation of trauma to explain, often glibly, how a broken character got to be the way they are is the exploration of how—outside of some gallant display of supernatural powers—such characters might reconstruct themselves.

From Time

This moral rebel, who leaps into battle with a smile and the motto “justice for all,” set the stage for all the gallant swashbucklers who followed.

From Washington Post

“Saved the puppy from getting eaten by an alligator and never dropped his cigar, a true legend,” read one tweet, while others said the devoted dog dad deserved a medal for the gallant rescue.

From Washington Post

He just made the gallant, grand decision to free up his day to spend more time with Jennifer Aniston.

From The Daily Beast

One “gallant old doctor” says he finds it unsuitable she is in a mortuary.

From The Daily Beast

He got married (“one wife enough”), had kids, left his job, survived a few more attacks, went gray, and no longer drove a Gallant.

From The Daily Beast

I plan to see if he can pick me up in a Gallant—for good luck.

From The Daily Beast

"My God, My Glock, and my Gallant" Above hardpan deserts, red dawns chased away Orion, the Hunter, day after night.

From The Daily Beast

M was a Miser, and hoarded up gold; N was a Nobleman, gallant and bold.

From Project Gutenberg

The white men served their smoking cannon with a wild energy that, for a time, made the gallant nine equal to a thousand.

From Project Gutenberg

He wrote a letter to Sir Hugh Wheeler warning the gallant old general that he might expect to be attacked forthwith.

From Project Gutenberg

Of the sixty men who charged, but eleven reached the guns, the rest had fallen, and among them the gallant Major.

From Project Gutenberg

Sword in hand the gallant Prince of Moskowa led the magnificent veterans to the attack.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

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