gallant

1 of 3

adjective

gal·​lant

(usually in sense 2)

ˈga-lənt  gə-ˈlant 

(usually in sense 3)

gə-ˈlänt 

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

gallant

2 of 3

noun

gal·​lant gə-ˈlant  gə-ˈlänt  ˈga-lənt 

1

: a young man of fashion

2

a

: ladies' man

b

: suitor

c

: paramour

gallant

3 of 3

verb

gal·​lant gə-ˈlant  -ˈlänt 

gallanted; gallanting; gallants

transitive verb

1

: to pay court to (a lady) : attend

used to gallant her in his youth

—Washington Irving

2

obsolete : to manipulate (a fan) in a modish manner

intransitive verb

: to pay court to ladies

Synonyms

Adjective

• valiant
• courageous
• brave
• heroical
• heroic
• fearless

Noun

• dude
• beau
• fop

Choose the Right Synonym for 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.

a gallant suitor of the old school

chivalrous suggests high-minded and self-sacrificing behavior.

a chivalrous display of duty

Examples of gallant in a Sentence

Adjective

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.

Noun

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 on the Web

Adjective

And yet, welcoming that idea can shock the system because our popular conception of the American Revolution is so often encased in bloodless, gallant myth. —Sarah Botstein, The Atlantic, 8 Oct. 2025

The experience of secession, of war, of industrial slaughter and gallant sacrifice, of Black soldiery and humanity all reforged Lincoln into a stronger alloy. —Jack Sheehan september 4, Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2025

The pre-match tifo at the Roker End depicted the County Durham legend of the giant Lambton worm, slayed by a gallant local hero. —Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 17 Aug. 2025

In 1951, George Reeves played the gallant superhero in the first feature film based on a DC Comics character, Superman and the Mole Man. —Zoey Lyttle, People.com, 11 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

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 well entry 3

Noun

Middle English galaunt, gallaunt, borrowed from Middle French, noun derivative of galant gallant entry 1

Verb

derivative of gallant entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1672, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for gallant

• talent
• valent
• topgallant

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Kids Definition

gallant

1 of 2 noun

gal·​lant gə-ˈlant  gə-ˈlänt  ˈgal-ənt 

1

: a fashionable young man

2

a

: a man who likes the company of women and is attentive to them

b

: suitor sense 3

gallant

2 of 2 adjective

gal·​lant ˈgal-ənt 

(usually in sense 2b);

gə-ˈlant  gə-ˈlänt 

 (usually in sense 3) 

1

: showy in dress or bearing

2

a

: splendid sense 2, stately

a gallant ship

b

: spirited, brave

c

: chivalrous sense 2a, noble

a gallant knight

3

: polite and attentive to women

gallantly adverb

Biographical Definition

Gallant

biographical name

Gal·​lant ga-ˈlant 

Mavis 1922–2014 originally Mavis de Trafford Young Canadian-French writer