Gallant — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective noun verb /ˈga-lənt/ (adjective) /gə-ˈlant/ (noun) gal·lant

Meaning & Definition of Gallant

Gallant (adjective)

  1. showy in dress or bearing, smart
  2. splendid, stately
  3. spirited, brave

Gallant (noun)

  1. a young man of fashion
  2. ladies' man
  3. suitor

Gallant (verb)

  1. to pay court to (a lady), attend
  2. to manipulate (a fan) in a modish manner
  3. to pay court to ladies

Gallant (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. feeling or displaying no fear by temperament

    "a gallant firefighter, rushing into the burning house to save the children"

    "a gallant rescue"

    similar: bold, brave, courageous, dauntless, doughty, fearless, greathearted, gutsy, gutty, heroic, intrepid, lionhearted, manful, stalwart, stout, stouthearted, undauntable, undaunted, valiant, valorous
    related: determined, firm, game, gamy, gritty, plucky, resolute, Spartan, undeterred, undismayed, unflinching, unswerving, mettlesome, spirited, spunky, adventuresome, adventurous, audacious, daring, dashing, hardy, venturesome, venturous, crazy, foolish, half-witted, insane, lunatic (informal), mad, nutty, brash, brazen, daredevil, foolhardy, heedless, hotheaded, impetuous, imprudent, impulsive, incautious, madcap, overbold, overconfident, rash, reckless, thoughtless, wild, hasty, headlong, precipitate, comforted, emboldened, encouraged, heartened, reassured, unafraid
    opposite: chicken, chickenhearted, chicken-livered, coward, cowardly, craven, dastardly, fainthearted, fearful, gutless, lily-livered, milk-livered (archaic), nerveless, poltroon, poor-spirited, pusillanimous, spineless, spiritless, timorous, uncourageous, ungallant, unheroic, weakhearted, yellow
    near: diffident, mousy, scary, shy, skittish, timid, anxious, apprehensive, nervous, careful, cautious, heedful, prudent, unadventurous, afraid, agitated, disconcerted, disquieted, disturbed, frightened, horrified, panicked, panic-stricken, perturbed, scared, shocked, spooked, startled, terrified, terrorized, unnerved, upset, appalled, concerned, dismayed, worried, unmanly, weak, wimpy

  2. having, characterized by, or arising from a dignified and generous nature

    "a gallant knight"

    "the members of that service club are known for their gallant service to the community"

    similar: big, chivalrous, elevated, great, greathearted, high, high-minded, lofty, lordly, magnanimous, natural, noble, sublime
    related: ennobled, exalted, glorified, heroic, honorable, valiant, venerable, worthy, knightly, princely, regal, inspiring, moving, numinous, uplifting, august, magnificent, majestic
    opposite: base, debased, degenerate, degraded, ignoble, low
    near: sordid, squalid, vile, wretched, abominable, contemptible, despicable, detestable, hateful, offensive, repulsive, ugly, vicious, dastardly, dirty, lousy, sorry, little, mean, narrow, small-minded, degrading, discreditable, humiliating, ignominious, coarse, crude, vulgar

  3. large and impressive in size, grandeur, extent, or conception

    "a great and gallant sailing ship"

    similar: august, baronial, epic, glorious, grand, grandiose, heroic, Homeric, imperial, imposing, magnific, magnificent, majestic, massive, monumental, noble, proud, regal, royal, splendid, stately
    related: colossal, monstrous, prodigious, stupendous, tremendous, kingly, lordly, princely, queenly, awesome, awful, cosmic, sublime, wondrous, formidable, impressive, prepossessing, redoubtable, apocalyptic, inflated, operatic, overblown, pompous, marvelous, superb, terrific, wonderful, extravagant, lavish, luxurious, opulent, palatial, palatine, sumptuous, gorgeous, resplendent, splendiferous, extraordinary, killer, remarkable, sensational, striking, celestial, divine, heavenly
    opposite: humble, unheroic, unimposing, unimpressive
    near: lowly, modest, unprepossessing, average, common, mediocre, ordinary, run-of-the-mill, second-rate, abject, mean, meretricious, shabby, sordid, insignificant, measly, paltry, petty, puny, trifling, trivial

Gallant (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a man extremely interested in his clothing and personal appearance

    "he was quite a gallant, primping more than either of his sisters"

    similar: beau, Beau Brummell, buck, dandy, dude, fop, jay, lounge lizard, macaroni, pretty boy
    related: coxcomb, fancy Dan, popinjay, blade, cavalier, dasher, clotheshorse, exquisite, swell
    near: slob, sloven

  2. a man who courts a woman usually with the goal of marrying her

    "she had a whole host of gallants vying for her hand in marriage"

    similar: suitor, swain, wooer
    related: beau, boyfriend, fellow, man, old man, significant other, squeeze (slang), admirer, crush, steady, beloved, darling, dear, favorite, flame, honey, love, lover, spark, sweet, sweetheart, sweetie, sweetie pie, valentine, date, escort, fiancé, intended

Gallant (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in attend, spark

    similar: attend, romance, spark, woo, court, date, escort, see, take out, go out, step out

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Gallant

The most common words with a similar meaning to Gallant:

bold, brave, courageous, dauntless, doughty, fearless, greathearted, gutsy, gutty, heroic, intrepid, lionhearted, manful, stalwart, stout, stouthearted, undauntable, undaunted, valiant, valorous, big, chivalrous, elevated, great, high, high-minded, lofty, lordly, magnanimous, natural, noble, sublime, august, baronial, epic, glorious, grand, grandiose, Homeric, imperial

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Gallant

Words with the opposite meaning of Gallant:

chicken, chickenhearted, chicken-livered, coward, cowardly, craven, dastardly, fainthearted, fearful, gutless, lily-livered, milk-livered, nerveless, poltroon, poor-spirited, pusillanimous, spineless, spiritless, timorous, uncourageous, ungallant, unheroic, weakhearted, yellow, base, debased, degenerate, degraded, ignoble, low

Related Words for Gallant

determined, firm, game, gamy, gritty, plucky, resolute, Spartan, undeterred, undismayed, unflinching, unswerving, mettlesome, spirited, spunky, adventuresome, adventurous, audacious, daring, dashing, hardy, venturesome, venturous, crazy, foolish, half-witted, insane, lunatic, mad, nutty

Near Antonyms of Gallant

diffident, mousy, scary, shy, skittish, timid, anxious, apprehensive, nervous, careful, cautious, heedful, prudent, unadventurous, afraid, agitated, disconcerted, disquieted, disturbed, frightened, horrified, panicked, panic-stricken, perturbed, scared, shocked, spooked, startled, terrified, terrorized

Word Forms of Gallant

Inflections: gallanted, gallanting, gallants

Derived words: gallantly (adverb)

Origin & 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 well:3

First known use: 15th century

Frequently Asked Questions about Gallant

What does "Gallant" mean?

"Gallant" means showy in dress or bearing, smart. As an an adjective, a noun and a verb, it is defined as: showy in dress or bearing, smart. It has 6 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Gallant"?

Other words for "Gallant" include bold, brave, courageous, dauntless, doughty, fearless, greathearted and gutsy. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Gallant" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Gallant"?

There are 218 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Gallant". Common alternatives include bold, brave, courageous, dauntless, doughty, fearless, greathearted, gutsy, gutty and heroic.

What is the opposite of "Gallant"?

Antonyms of "Gallant" include chicken, chickenhearted, chicken-livered, coward, cowardly, craven, dastardly and fainthearted. Near antonyms include diffident, mousy, scary and shy.

How do you use "Gallant" in a sentence?

Examples of "Gallant" in a sentence: "a gallant firefighter, rushing into the burning house to save the children"; "a gallant rescue"; "a gallant knight".

Is "Gallant" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Gallant" can be used as an adjective, a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Gallant"?

"Gallant" is pronounced /ˈga-lənt/ as an adjective and /gə-ˈlant/ as a noun and divided into syllables as gal·lant.

What is the origin of the word "Gallant"?

"Gallant" comes from 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 well:3. First known use: 15th century.