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Meaning & use

knight in shining armor

noun·Everydayfigurative

Last updated

UK/ˌnaɪt ɪn ˌʃaɪnɪŋ ˈɑːmə/
US/ˌnaɪt ɪn ˌʃaɪnɪŋ ˈɑːrmər/

Meaning

  1. nouncountablefigurative

    A person, usually a man, who rescues someone from trouble in a brave and generous way, especially in an idealized romantic story.

    Grammar: Usually appears with an or the: she waited for a knight in shining armor.

    Patterns

    • be someone's knight in shining armor
    • wait for a knight in shining armor

    She did not need a knight in shining armor, only a ride to the airport.

    When my car broke down, a stranger arrived like a knight in shining armor.

    He saw himself as the knight in shining armor who would save the company.

Word forms

pluralknights in shining armor

Common combinations

wait for a knight in shining armor
She stopped waiting for a knight in shining armor and fixed the problem herself.
act like a knight in shining armor
He acted like a knight in shining armor and paid for everything.
play the knight in shining armor
He loves to play the knight in shining armor.
someone's knight in shining armor
My brother was my knight in shining armor that day.
search for a knight in shining armor
The film shows a heroine tired of searching for a knight in shining armor.

Synonyms and how they differ

rescuer
Rescuer is a neutral word for someone who saves another, while knight in shining armor adds romance and idealism.
savior
Savior is stronger and may sound religious, while the idiom is lighter and often humorous.
hero
Hero can mean any brave person, while the idiom specifically suggests a romantic rescuer.

Opposites

villain

Word family

knight noun
a medieval soldier of high rank
knighthood noun
the rank or title of a knight
chivalry noun
brave and polite behavior, especially toward women
armor noun
protective metal covering worn by a soldier

Commonly confused: knight in shining armor or white knight?

knight in shining armor vs white knight

A white knight in business is a company that rescues another from an unwanted takeover, which is a narrower use.

Practice

My laptop crashed before the deadline, and my neighbor, an IT expert, turned up like a ___.

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