throw down the gauntlet

verb

To issue a challenge.

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Meanings

verbthrow down the gauntlet (third-person singular simple present throws down the gauntlet, present participle throwing down the gauntlet, simple past threw down the gauntlet, past participle thrown down the gauntlet)

present singular third person throws down the gauntlet · participle present throwing down the gauntlet · past threw down the gauntlet · participle past thrown down the gauntlet · alternative throw down the gantlet

  1. idiomaticTo issue a challenge.

    We might as well dispute with Dimock on a Coronation Day, as argue with these Writers. They strut, vapour, throw down the Gauntlet, and defy us to take it up.

    1730, Caleb d' Anvers (Nicholas Amhurst), The Craftsman, volume 7, page 91

Origin

From the late medieval custom symbolizing a challenge, in French jeter le gant which nowadays usually means to give up after having tried hard (leaving the challenge to any takers). The English phrase dates to the 1540s (figurative use by the 18th century).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan llançar el guant
  • llançar el guantissue a challenge
Chinese Mandarin 挑戰 /挑战
  • 挑戰 /挑战 (tiǎozhàn)issue a challenge
Dutch iemand uitdagen
  • iemand uitdagenissue a challenge
Finnish heittää taisteluhansikas
  • heittää taisteluhansikasissue a challenge
French jeter le gant
  • jeter le gantissue a challenge
German den Fehdehandschuh hinwerfen
  • den Fehdehandschuh hinwerfenissue a challenge
Indonesian mengajukan tantangan, menantang
  • mengajukan tantanganissue a challenge
  • menantangissue a challenge
Polish rzucać rękawicę, rzucić rękawicę
  • rzucać rękawicęissue a challenge
  • rzucić rękawicęissue a challenge
Spanish arrojar el guante
  • arrojar el guanteissue a challenge
Swedish kasta handsken
  • kasta handskenissue a challenge
Cite this entry
APA

throw down the gauntlet. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/throw%20down%20the%20gauntlet

MLA

“throw down the gauntlet.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/throw%20down%20the%20gauntlet. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “throw down the gauntlet,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/throw%20down%20the%20gauntlet.

Source: throw down the gauntlet on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.