Meaning & use
Galahad
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Meanings
proper nounproper
The pure and virtuous knight of King Arthur's court in medieval legend who succeeds in finding the Holy Grail.
Grammar: A capitalized name with no article: Galahad found the Grail.
Patterns
- Galahad and the Grail
In the old stories, Galahad is the only knight pure enough to see the Grail.
Our teacher compared the lives of Galahad and Lancelot in the legend.
Galahad is often shown in white or silver armor in paintings.
nouncountablefigurativeold-fashioned
A man who behaves in a very honorable, selfless or chivalrous way, especially toward women.
Grammar: Used with a: he is a real Galahad; sometimes written lowercase.
Patterns
- play Galahad
- a Galahad to someone
He played Galahad and walked her home in the rain.
Nobody expected the cynical editor to turn into such a Galahad about the issue.
My grandfather was a bit of a Galahad, always opening doors for strangers.
Word forms
| plural | Galahads |
|---|
Common combinations
- Sir Galahad
- Sir Galahad appears in many retellings of the Arthurian tales.
- play Galahad
- He tried to play Galahad and pay for everyone's dinner.
- a modern Galahad
- The press called the donor a modern Galahad.
- Galahad and the Grail
- The painting shows Galahad and the Grail in a blaze of light.
Synonyms and how they differ
- knight
- Knight names the rank in general, while Galahad points to one ideal of purity and honor.
- gentleman
- Gentleman is an everyday word for well-mannered men, whereas Galahad suggests a more heroic, almost naive nobility.
- paragon
- Paragon praises a perfect example of any virtue, while Galahad is specifically about chivalrous goodness.
Opposites
Word family
- Galahadian adjective
- rare word meaning in the manner of Galahad
- chivalry noun
- the knightly code of honor and courtesy
- chivalrous adjective
- polite and honorable, especially toward women
Commonly confused: Galahad or Lancelot?
Galahad vs Lancelot
Lancelot was Arthur's greatest knight but flawed by his love for Guinevere; Galahad, Lancelot's son, is the flawless one.
Practice
Calling a man 'a real Galahad' most likely means that he is:
Choose one answer.
Galahad, the pure knight of legend, stands for noble, chivalrous behavior. The other options do not match his reputation.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “Galahad”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.