Meanings
plural gallantries
- countableuncountablecourage.
Our men have fought with grim gallantry. The soldiers of the Republic of Korea have also been fighting fiercely.
1950 September 1, Harry S. Truman, 1:27 from the start, in MP72-73 Korea and World Peace: President Truman Reports to the People, Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives Identifier: 5951621 more example
1926, P. G. Wodehouse, 'Lord Emsworth and the Girl Friend', Penguin, Harmondsworth: 1992, p 98. 'I have the greatest respect for the young lady to whom you refer. She behaved on a certain recent occasion - on two recent occasions - with notable gallantry and resource, and I won't have her bally-ragged.'
- countableuncountablechivalrous courtliness, especially towards women.
Of the three things that startle us in the feasts of nobles, there is not one here; no swords, no duels, no tables reeking blood. No faithless gallantries here bring dishonour on some intimate friend.
1863, Jules Michelet, translated by Lionel J. Trotter, La Sorcière: The Witch of the Middle Ages1 more example
The Queen of Sheba has responded to Solomon's gallantry and accepted his one God . She is one who is ready to be guided . Her heart is open . The second part of the testing , the riddles , seem to be a more personal and human exchange .
1993, Barbara Black Koltuv, Solomon & Sheba: Inner Marriage and Individuation, Nicholas-Hays, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 80 - countableuncountablean instance of gallant behaviour or speech.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounthe qualities of a hero or heroine; exceptional or heroic courage when facing danger (especially in battle)
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Frenchgalanterie
- Englishgallantry
From French galanterie, equivalent to gallant + -ry.
More words from French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian смелост, храброст
- смелост (smelost)courage especially in battle
- храброст (hrabrost)courage especially in battle
- учтивост (učtivost)chivalrous courtliness, especially towards women
- галантност (galantnost)chivalrous courtliness, especially towards women
Catalan galanteria
- galanteriachivalrous courtliness, especially towards women
Chinese Mandarin 勇敢, 英勇
- 勇敢 (yǒnggǎn)courage especially in battle
- 英勇 (yīngyǒng)courage especially in battle
- 勇氣 /勇气 (yǒngqì)courage especially in battle
Czech galantnost
- galantnostchivalrous courtliness, especially towards women
Finnish urheus, ritarillisuus
- urheuscourage especially in battle
- ritarillisuuschivalrous courtliness, especially towards women
French courage militaire, galanterie
- courage militairecourage especially in battle
- galanteriechivalrous courtliness, especially towards women
German Tapferkeit
- Tapferkeitcourage especially in battle
Hindi शौर्य, वीरता
- शौर्य (śaurya)courage especially in battle
- वीरता (vīrtā)courage especially in battle
- सुशीलता (suśīltā)chivalrous courtliness, especially towards women
Italian coraggio, ardimento
- coraggiocourage especially in battle
- ardimentocourage especially in battle
- valor militarecourage especially in battle
- galanteriachivalrous courtliness, especially towards women
Japanese 勇敢
- 勇敢 (yūkan)courage especially in battle
Korean 용감, 용맹
- 용감 (yonggam)courage especially in battle
- 용맹 (yongmaeng)courage especially in battle
Māori toanga, hautoa
- toangacourage especially in battle
- hautoacourage especially in battle
- hautoatangachivalrous courtliness, especially towards women
Romanian curaj, bravură
- curajcourage especially in battle
- bravurăcourage especially in battle
- cutezanțăcourage especially in battle
- galanteriechivalrous courtliness, especially towards women
- curtoaziechivalrous courtliness, especially towards women
Russian хра́брость, отва́га
- хра́брость (xrábrostʹ)courage especially in battle
- отва́га (otvága)courage especially in battle
- сме́лость (smélostʹ)courage especially in battle
- му́жество (múžestvo)courage especially in battle
- до́блесть (dóblestʹ)courage especially in battle
- гала́нтность (galántnostʹ)chivalrous courtliness, especially towards women
Spanish coraje, valor militar
- corajecourage especially in battle
- valor militarcourage especially in battle
Tagalog kagilasan, kagilasan
- kagilasancourage especially in battle
- kagilasanchivalrous courtliness, especially towards women
Cite this entry
gallantry. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gallantry
“gallantry.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gallantry. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “gallantry,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gallantry.
Source: gallantry on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.