gallivant
verb
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Back in the 14th century, gallant, a noun borrowed from the French word galant, referred to a fashionable young man. By the middle of the next century, it was being used more specifically to refer to such a man who was attentive to, and had a fondness for, the company of women. In the late 17th century, this “ladies’ man” sense gave rise to the verb gallant to describe the process a suitor used to win a lady’s heart, and “gallanting” became synonymous with “courting.” It’s this verb gallant that is the likely source of gallivant, which originally meant “to act as a gallant” or “to go about usually ostentatiously or indiscreetly with members of the opposite sex.” Today, however, gallivant is more likely to describe pleasurable wandering than romancing.
Examples of gallivant in a Sentence
David John Chávez, Mercury News, 16 Nov. 2025
That digital amusement revolved around our favorite plucky plumber gallivanting through the cosmos on a mission to gather enough Power Stars to allow his spaceship to venture into the heart of the universe, to the location where the dastardly Bowser is holding Princess Peach prisoner.
—Jeff Spry, Space.com, 12 Nov. 2025
Meet Cash, an energetic dog with a deep love of toys and gallivanting around in water, his profile says.
—Tj MacIas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Sep. 2025
As one of the brand's newest global ambassadors, Graham, 37, gallivanted around New York for the campaign.
—Hedy Phillips, PEOPLE, 9 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gallivant
Cite this Entry
“Gallivant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gallivant. Accessed 3 Dec. 2025.
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