Meaning & use
gallop
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Meanings
verbintransitive
To run very fast, especially of a horse, with all four feet off the ground at once.
Grammar: No object; often used with 'away', 'off', or 'along': The horse galloped away.
Patterns
- gallop away
- gallop off
- gallop along
The horse galloped across the field.
The rider galloped away before anyone could stop her.
The children galloped down the hallway, laughing.
verbintransitivefigurative
To move or progress very quickly.
Grammar: Used figuratively for things like time, prices, or processes: Inflation galloped ahead.
Patterns
- gallop ahead
- gallop along
- gallop through something
Prices galloped upward during the crisis.
The project galloped along once we had more funding.
Time galloped by during the vacation.
nouncountable
The fastest pace of a horse, or a ride at this speed.
Grammar: Countable; often used in the phrase 'at a gallop'.
Patterns
- at a gallop
- break into a gallop
- a full gallop
The horse broke into a gallop.
They rode at a gallop to deliver the news.
The sound of a gallop echoed through the valley.
Word forms
| third person singular | gallops |
|---|---|
| past tense | galloped |
| past participle | galloped |
| -ing form | galloping |
| plural | gallops |
Common combinations
- at a gallop
- The horse moved at a gallop across the open plain.
- gallop away
- The thief galloped away on horseback.
- gallop through
- She galloped through her homework in half an hour.
- full gallop
- The riders approached at full gallop.
Synonyms and how they differ
- run
- A general word for fast movement; 'gallop' is more specific to horses or a rhythmic, bounding pace.
- sprint
- Used for people or animals running very fast for a short distance; 'gallop' suggests a particular gait of a horse.
- race
- Suggests competing or moving urgently; 'gallop' focuses on the speed and style of movement.
Opposites
Word family
- galloping adjective
- Moving very fast, often used of horses or diseases: galloping inflation.
Commonly confused: gallop or gallon?
gallop vs gallon
A gallon is a unit of liquid measure. Gallop is a fast run. They look similar but are unrelated.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'gallop' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Gallop' is intransitive, so it doesn't take a direct object. The horse gallops; you don't gallop something. Option 1 is wrong because 'gallop' doesn't mean kick; option 2 is wrong because you don't gallop a letter; option 3 is wrong because cars don't gallop.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “gallop”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.