gallant 1 of 3

1
as in valiant
feeling or displaying no fear by temperament a gallant firefighter, rushing into the burning house to save the children a gallant rescue

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
3

gallant

2 of 3

noun

1
as in dude
a man extremely interested in his clothing and personal appearance he was quite a gallant, primping more than either of his sisters

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2

gallant

3 of 3

verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective gallant contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of gallant are chivalrous, civil, courteous, and polite. While all these words mean "observant of the forms required by good breeding," 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

Where would chivalrous be a reasonable alternative to gallant?

The words chivalrous and gallant can be used in similar contexts, but chivalrous suggests high-minded and self-sacrificing behavior.

a chivalrous display of duty

When could civil be used to replace gallant?

While the synonyms civil and gallant are close in meaning, civil often suggests little more than the avoidance of overt rudeness.

owed the questioner a civil reply

When can courteous be used instead of gallant?

Although the words courteous and gallant have much in common, courteous implies more actively considerate or dignified politeness.

clerks who were unfailingly courteous to customers

When might polite be a better fit than gallant?

The words polite and gallant are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, 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

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of gallant
Adjective
Still, the gallant Pascal gets the plum Joan date that starts with a Ferrari ride. Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, 3 Oct. 2024 This time around, a mysterious government official (Brian Cox) is targeting Charles Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters, forcing our gallant mutants to forge a tentative truce with Magneto and his legions. Will Leitch, Vulture, 29 July 2024 For nearly a century after the Civil War, terroristic lynchings of Black men in the South were frequently justified as gallant acts by white men to protect their wives and daughters. Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 16 Apr. 2025 An elaborate ideology confers legitimacy upon the Kim family: according to the country’s founding myth, Kim Il Sung led a gallant band of guerilla fighters in the bitter winds of Manchuria to defeat the Japanese, liberate the Korean people, and establish the North Korean state. Jennifer Lind, Foreign Affairs, 25 Oct. 2010 See All Example Sentences for gallant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gallant
Adjective
  • When senior Celina Frenz wasn’t dancing through defenders to create pressure, Kocher’s ability to find Meisner darting in from the left wing was the codebreaker against a valiant effort from Timnath.
    Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 20 May 2025
  • Panthers in an 0-2 hole in the series Despite a valiant effort once again in the third — putting up 37 shot attempts and 15 scoring chances (including 10 high-danger chances) — the Panthers fell 4-3 to the Maple Leafs and are now 0-2 in the best-of-7 series.
    Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 8 May 2025
Adjective
  • Overwhelmingly, the pictures portrayed manual work as a noble, even romantic enterprise.
    Chris Wiley, New Yorker, 31 May 2025
  • Florentine society had changed a good deal since the days of their illustrious ancestor; noble blood had in fact become something of a liability.
    The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 29 May 2025
Adjective
  • In one of his only performances as an ostensibly normal guy, Cruise brings magnificent dirtbag energy to War of the Worlds' Ray, a working-class deadbeat dad whose one weekend with his kids (Dakota Fanning and Justin Chatwin) overlaps with an alien invasion.
    Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 24 May 2025
  • Heart rate rises, breath softens, and eyes glue to this magnificent 500-pound mammal that could rip me to pieces with the simple swipe of its striped paw.
    Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 23 May 2025
Noun
  • One thing Lewis has never been accused of is being dumb — or, probably, being a good dude.
    Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 26 May 2025
  • To work with Sly [Stallone] now, that dude is a beast.
    Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 May 2025
Noun
  • And, as a mom herself, having married her high school boyfriend Chris Seel, Hailey's feelings are even more complicated.
    Ruth Chenetz, CBS News, 31 May 2025
  • Prosecutors say the former finance professor hit her boyfriend of about two years with her black Lexus in a drunken rage and left him in the snow.
    Michael Loria, USA Today, 29 May 2025
Verb
  • Many spend time playing Baldur’s Gate 3 splitting time between epic battles and romancing companions.
    Rob Wieland, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
  • The princess doesn’t only want a man’s riches but the whole package – a husband with money that will romance her.
    Michelle F. Solomon, Miami Herald, 17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • In her courageous testimony, Ventura described the myriad means by which Combs achieved and maintained power and control over her during their decade-long relationship.
    Elizabeth Geddes, Rolling Stone, 23 May 2025
  • While there are many other ways to foster courageous leadership, these three are evergreen.
    Quang X. Pham, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025
Adjective
  • This week’s must reads More great reads Mexico judicial elections: Government calls it essential reform.
    Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2025
  • Ultimately, House Democrats approved the three main components of the plan by that margin or greater.
    Dan Petrella, Chicago Tribune, 1 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Gallant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gallant. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.

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