Meaning & use
gallivant
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Meaning
verbintransitiveinformaldisapproving
To go around from place to place enjoying yourself, usually when you are expected to be working or at home.
Grammar: Has no object and is usually followed by around, off or about: gallivant around town.
Patterns
- gallivant around
- gallivant off to somewhere
- gallivant about
While we were stuck at the office, he was gallivanting around Europe.
Stop gallivanting and help me with the dishes.
My aunt gallivanted off to Spain the moment she retired.
Word forms
| third person singular | gallivants |
|---|---|
| past tense | gallivanted |
| past participle | gallivanted |
| -ing form | gallivanting |
Common combinations
- gallivant around
- She spent the summer gallivanting around the Greek islands.
- gallivant off
- He gallivanted off for the weekend without telling anyone.
- gallivant about town
- The twins were gallivanting about town instead of studying.
- gallivant across the country
- They gallivanted across the country in a battered camper van.
- gallivanting around the world
- Her grandfather is gallivanting around the world at eighty.
Synonyms and how they differ
- roam
- Simply means to wander without a fixed goal and carries no hint of neglected duties, as gallivant does.
- jaunt
- Is a noun or verb for a short, cheerful trip, while gallivant implies a longer, more careless spree.
- traipse
- Suggests tiring, tedious walking around, whereas gallivant suggests fun.
- gad about
- Is a nearly identical, old-fashioned phrase, but it is always followed by about.
Opposites
Word family
- gallivanting noun
- the activity of going around for pleasure
- gallivanter noun
- someone who gallivants, rare
- gallant adjective
- a possible distant source of the word, meaning brave or courteous
Commonly confused: gallivant or gallop?
gallivant vs gallop
Gallop describes a horse's fast pace, while gallivant is about wandering for fun; the opening sound is similar but the meanings are unrelated.
Practice
My brother has been ____ around the coast all summer while the rest of us look after the family shop.
Choose one answer.
Gallivanting means roaming for pleasure while others work, which suits the contrast. Trudging and laboring suggest hard effort, and commuting is a regular trip to work.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “gallivant”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.