Word
gallant
Phoneticsgal·lant, stress on the first syllable
/ˈɡæɫənt/
Definition
adj. brave and heroic, especially in a difficult situation. It also describes a man who is very polite and helpful toward women.
adj. characterised by bravery and nobility of spirit; also describes chivalrous and attentive behaviour by a man toward women. Often carries a literary or historical tone.
Examples
“The gallant soldier saved his friends from the fire.”
“Despite the overwhelming odds, the small group made a gallant attempt to defend the bridge.”
“The knight was remembered in local folklore as a gallant protector of the weak, though modern historians suggest his motives were more political than selfless.”
Examples
simple
“The gallant soldier saved his friends from the fire.”
contextual
“Despite the overwhelming odds, the small group made a gallant attempt to defend the bridge.”
complex
“The knight was remembered in local folklore as a gallant protector of the weak, though modern historians suggest his motives were more political than selfless.”
Usage
Typically used as an attributive adjective before a noun; when describing politeness, it often follows a linking verb like 'be' or 'seem'.
Real-World Examples
“The Airport Chaplain wastes no time establishing Tobias as a gallant do-gooder determined to save the day, as he rescues the toy rabbit of a distressed child.” “They gradually evolved into rural gentry, but they were not, as people tended to think of them later, gallant crusaders following time-honoured chivalric codes.” “He told the court that these spoke of how PC Capery was of "good character" and was "a very hard-working, diligent and on occasion gallant serving Metropolitan Police officer".” Etymology
From Middle English galant, galaunt, from Old French galant (“courteous; dashing; brave”), present participle of galer (“to rejoice; make merry”), from gale (“pomp; show; festivity; mirth”); either from Frankish wala (“good, well”), a variant form of wela, from Proto-Germanic wela (whence well), from Proto-Indo-European welh₁- (“to choose, wish”); or alternatively from Frankish gail (“merry; mirthful; proud; luxuriant”), from Proto-Germanic gailaz (“merry; excited; luxurious”), related to Dutch geil (“horny; lascivious; salacious; lecherous”), German geil (“randy; horny; lecherous; wicked”), Old English gāl (“wanton; wicked; bad”).
17th-century borrowing from French galant. See above.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C2 ProficiencyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.8.5–9.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 6.0114–120
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C2 · Proficiency
- Updated
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