gallantry

noun

gal·​lant·​ry ˈga-lən-trē 

plural gallantries

1

archaic : gallant appearance

2

a

: an act of marked courtesy

b

: courteous attention to a lady

c

: amorous attention or pursuit

3

: spirited and conspicuous bravery

Synonyms

• bottle [British slang]
• bravery
• courage
• courageousness
• daring
• daringness
• dauntlessness
• doughtiness
• fearlessness
• greatheartedness
• guts
• gutsiness
• hardihood
• heart
• heroism
• intestinal fortitude
• intrepidity
• intrepidness
• moxie
• nerve
• pecker [chiefly British]
• prowess
• stoutness
• valor
• virtue

Examples of gallantry in a Sentence

Many women were charmed by his old-fashioned gallantry.

commended the rescuers for their gallantry

Recent Examples on the Web

Queen Victoria created the unit in 1900 after an adviser suggested that the Irish regiments should wear shamrocks on their headdress every St. Patrick's Day as a nod to the crown's appreciation for their gallantry during the Boer War, the British Army said. —Janine Henni, People.com, 19 Mar. 2025

He was deployed to Italy, where his conspicuous gallantry in combat earned him the Military Cross. —Lawrence D. Freedman, Foreign Affairs, 1 Jan. 2020

Crank up the gallantry, crank up the generosity: Send a spark of love and novelty into the black cloud. —James Parker, The Atlantic, 21 Jan. 2025

There is a back story to Crazy Horse's battlefield gallantry. —Chip Bell, Forbes, 14 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French galanterie, from galant gallant entry 1 + -erie -ery

First Known Use

1613, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

gallantry

noun

gal·​lant·​ry ˈgal-ən-trē 

plural gallantries

1

a

: an act of notable courtesy

b

: courteous attention to a woman

2

: notable bravery