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Rakish vs Gallant - What's the difference?

rakish | gallant | Synonyms |

In lang=en terms the difference between rakish and gallant

is that rakish is like a rake; dissolute; profligate while gallant is fashionable young man, who is polite and attentive to women.

As adjectives the difference between rakish and gallant

is that rakish is dashingly, carelessly, or sportingly unconventional or stylish; jaunty; characterized by a devil-may-care unconventionality; having a somewhat disreputable quality or appearance while gallant is brave, valiant.

As a noun gallant is

fashionable young man, who is polite and attentive to women.

As a verb gallant is

to attend or wait on (a lady).

rakish

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • dashingly, carelessly, or sportingly unconventional or stylish; jaunty; characterized by a devil-may-care unconventionality; having a somewhat disreputable quality or appearance.
  • ... the rakish Dennis Quaid, a Houston native who is moving to Texas in a couple of years and wants it to become "the new Hollywood." (Houston Chronicle, 6/8/2007)
  • (dated) like a rake; dissolute; profligate
  • * Macaulay
  • The arduous task of converting a rakish lover.

    Anagrams

    *

    gallant

    English

    Alternative forms

    * gallaunt (obsolete)

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) .

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Brave, valiant.
  • * (William Shakespeare) (1564-1616)
  • That gallant spirit hath aspired the clouds.
  • Honorable.
  • *
  • Captain Edward Carlisle; he could not tell what this prisoner might do. He cursed the fate which had assigned such a duty, cursed especially that fate which forced a gallant soldier to meet so superb a woman as this under handicap so hard.
  • Grand, noble.
  • (lb) Showy; splendid; magnificent; gay; well-dressed.
  • * (John Evelyn) (1620-1706)
  • The town is built in a very gallant place.
  • * (William Shakespeare) (1564-1616)
  • our royal, good and gallant ship

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl)

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Polite and attentive to ladies; courteous to women; chivalrous.
  • Noun

    (en noun)
  • (dated) Fashionable young man, who is polite and attentive to women.
  • * 1610 , , act 1 scene 2
  • PROSPERO: [...] this gallant which thou see'st / Was in the wrack; and but he's something stain'd /with grief,—that beauty's canker,—thou mightst call him / A goodly person [...]
  • One who woos, a lover, a suitor, a seducer.
  • * 1819 , , Otho the Great , Act III, Scene II, verses 140-143
  • The ignominy of that whisper’d tale
    About a midnight gallant , seen to climb
    A window to her chamber neighbour’d near,
    I will from her turn off,
  • An animal or thing of grey colour, such as a horse, badger, or salmon.
  • * Sir Walter Scott
  • Woe worth the chase, woe worth the day, / That costs thy life, my gallant grey .
  • (nautical) topgallant
  • Verb

    (en verb)
  • (obsolete) To attend or wait on (a lady).
  • to gallant ladies to the play
  • (obsolete) To handle with grace or in a modish manner.
  • to gallant a fan

    References

    * English heteronyms ----