gallant

noun gal·lant \ gə-ˈlant , gə-ˈlänt , ˈga-lənt \

|Updated on: 26 May 2018

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Examples: gallant in a Sentence

Editor's Note: Did You Know?

Definition of gallant

1 : a young man of fashion

2 a : ladies' man

b : suitor

c : paramour

See gallant defined for kids

gallant was our Word of the Day on 09/08/2012. Hear the podcast!

Examples of gallant in a Sentence

he was quite a gallant, primping more than either of his sisters
she had a whole host of gallants vying for her hand in marriage

Recent Examples of gallant from the Web

The 2018 court included promenade girls, gallants, demoiselles, jewel-bearers and the queen.

— sue strachan, NOLA.com, "New Orleans Spring Fiesta welcomes the season with promenade, presentation," 1 Apr. 2018
Housewives surrendered their gold jewelry in a gallant, but futile attempt to restore the nation’s solvency.

— michael schuman, Bloomberg.com, "What South Korea’s 1997 Meltdown Can Teach China in 2017," 29 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'gallant.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of gallant

Middle English galaunt, gallaunt, borrowed from Middle French, noun derivative of galant ²gallant

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

gallant Synonyms

Synonyms

suitor, swain, wooer;

Related Words

beau, boyfriend, fellow, man, old man, squeeze [slang];

admirer, crush, steady;

beloved, darling, dear, favorite, flame, honey, love, lover, sweetheart, valentine;

date, escort;

fiancé, intended;

gallant

adjective gal·lant \ ˈga-lənt (usually in sense 2) ; gə-ˈlant , gə-ˈlänt (usually in sense 3) \

Definition of gallant

1 : showy in dress or bearing : smart

2 a : splendid, stately

a gallant ship

b : spirited, brave

gallant efforts against the enemy

c : nobly chivalrous and often self-sacrificing

3 : courteously and elaborately attentive especially to ladies

—

gallantly

adverb

See gallant defined for English-language learners

Examples of gallant in a Sentence

The defenders of the fort made a gallant stand.
They failed to reach the summit, but they made a gallant attempt.
He greeted her with a gallant bow.
He offered her his seat in a gallant gesture.

Recent Examples of gallant from the Web

The crowd in liberal San Jose went wild as Newsom struck a gallant pose, and like-minded liberals cited this quote on social media, which is precisely what's wrong with this picture.

— marcos bretón, sacbee, "Translating Newsom doubletalk: We don't celebrate diversity, we avoid talking about it | The Sacramento Bee," 11 May 2018
This sensitively told version— written with her husband, who also lost a leg in the bombing — highlights her relationship with the gallant Rescue. 32 pp.

— maria russo, New York Times, "Enchanting New Picture Books," 11 May 2018
Hughes had found a use for the gallant Locke: an entrée to the bold movement in black American writing then rumbling to life.

— tobi haslett, The New Yorker, "The Man Who Led the Harlem Renaissance—and His Hidden Hungers," 11 May 2018
The original plaque, still attached to the monument, recognizes him as a noble patriot, gallant soldier, useful citizen and accomplished gentleman, without mentioning city parks.

— thomas novelly, The Courier-Journal, "Confederate statue in Cherokee Triangle vandalized again, this time with the word 'racist'," 12 Apr. 2018
Isabelle's next beau, an unhappily married stage actor (Nicholas Duvauchelle), seems gallant by comparison, though his endless hesitation reveals him to be a similarly irritating study in self-absorption.

— justin chang, latimes.com, "Juliette Binoche lights up Claire Denis' exquisite 'Let the Sunshine In'," 3 May 2018
The original plaque, still attached to the monument, recognizes him as a noble patriot, gallant soldier, useful citizen and accomplished gentleman, without mentioning city parks.

— thomas novelly, The Courier-Journal, "Confederate statue in Cherokee Triangle vandalized again, this time with the word 'racist'," 12 Apr. 2018
New heroes arrive, old friends depart, the Resistance lives on, and Carrie Fisher makes a gallant exit.

— chris ball, cleveland.com, "'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' now on DVD and Blu-ray (review)," 1 Apr. 2018
In addition, the Flyers’ star players have been mostly invisible, and Penguins goalie Matt Murray (1.27 GAA, .948 save percentage in the series) has outplayed gallant Brian Elliott (4.74 GAA, .856), who has tried to return from core-muscle surgery.

— sam carchidi, Philly.com, "Claude Giroux says Flyers will be back for Game 6," 19 Apr. 2018

Did You Know?

In the late 14th century, Middle English adopted "galaunt" (now spelled "gallant") from Middle French galant, a participial form of the verb galer, meaning "to have a good time." This origin is more apparent in the earliest uses of the English "gallant," both as a noun meaning "a man of fashion" and as an adjective meaning "marked by show, color, smartness, or splendor especially in dress." French galer is related to "gale" ("pleasure, merrymaking") which has also entered the language, by way of Italian, as "gala" ("a festive celebration"). Middle English also had a noun "gale" which meant "singing, merriment, or mirth" (and is unrelated to the "gale" used to indicate a strong current of air) which may also have been related to Old French gale.

Origin and Etymology of gallant

Middle English galaunt, borrowed from Middle French galant, from present participle of galer "to squander in pleasures, have a good time, enjoy oneself," going back to Old French, going back to Gallo-Romance *walāre, derivative of Old Low Franconian *wala "well, with good appearance or effect," going back to Germanic *welō — more at ³well

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

gallant Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of gallant

civil, polite, courteous, gallant, chivalrous mean observant of the forms required by good breeding. civil often suggests little more than the avoidance of overt rudeness.

- owed the questioner a civil reply

polite commonly implies polish of speech and manners and sometimes suggests an absence of cordiality.

- if you can't be pleasant, at least be polite

courteous implies more actively considerate or dignified politeness.

- clerks who were unfailingly courteous to customers

gallant and chivalrous imply courteous attentiveness especially to women. gallant suggests spirited and dashing behavior and ornate expressions of courtesy.