gallivant en · VERB
Pronunciation
Etymology
1809, from gallant (“wooing women”), originally in sense “to flirt”, broadened to mean “roaming without plan”.
Meanings
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(intransitive) To roam about for pleasure without any definite plan.
Bertram, it is true, when he heard of the plan, rebelled, and asserted that what Billy needed was a rest, an entire rest from care and labor. In fact, what he wanted her to do, he said, was to gallivant – to gallivant all day long.
1914, Eleanor H. Porter, chapter 18, in Miss Billy – Married, page 214:When she wasn't gallivanting about the globe, gathering interesting tidbits for her travel blog, she adored holing up for days at a time with a few pints of Häagen-Dazs, leaving only to go for a dip in the rooftop pool or for a workout in the building's fitness club.
2012, Debbi Rawlins, Barefoot Blue Jean Night, page 22:Rather than sit and gawk at my nonadoring mother and sister, I gallivanted outdoors until it was time to hit the sack.
2003, Bric Blastard Had It All, page 36:The episode also opens with an inspired bit of business for Homer, who blithely refuses to acquiesce to an elderly neighbor’s utterly reasonable request that he help make the process of selling her house easier by wearing pants when he gallivants about in front of windows, throw out his impressive collection of rotting Jack-O-Lanterns from previous Halloweens and take out his garbage, as it’s attracting wildlife (cue moose and Northern Exposure theme song).
2012 May 27, Nathan Rabin, “TV: Review: THE SIMPSONS (CLASSIC): “New Kid On The Block” (season 4, episode 8; originally aired 11/12/1992)”, in The Onion AV Club:
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(intransitive, obsolete) To flirt, to romance.
'That you never go gallivanting with Chloe again. You both "don't mean anything", but suppose you did happen to get the girl discharged with a very dubious character? Should you see any alternative to behaving either as a fool or a knave to put it right?'
1927, Ernest Bramah [pseudonym; Ernest Brammah Smith], Max Carrados Mysteries:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| gallivanting | Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| gallivants | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | lexicographic | |
| gallivanted | Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| gallivanted | Tense=Past | lexicographic | |
| galavant | alternative | lexicographic | |
| gallavant | alternative | lexicographic |
Deriveds
Synonyms
Translations (47)
lld ji a loter (roam about for pleasure) · ru шля́ться (roam about for pleasure) · es yirar (roam about for pleasure) · ru слоня́ться (roam about for pleasure) · ka წანწალი (roam about for pleasure) · de flirten (flirt, romance) · it gironzolare (roam about for pleasure) · ar تسكع (roam about for pleasure) · ru гуля́ть (roam about for pleasure) · gd rach air fàrsan (roam about for pleasure) · sv driva omkring (roam about for pleasure) · fr flâner (roam about for pleasure) · bg шляя се (roam about for pleasure) · sv dagdriva (roam about for pleasure) · mk се шета (roam about for pleasure) · sh flertovati (flirt, romance) · bg флиртувам (flirt, romance) · fr conter fleurette (flirt, romance) · cs toulat se (roam about for pleasure) · it vagare (roam about for pleasure) · es ruar (roam about for pleasure) · nl flaneren (roam about for pleasure) · de schäkern (flirt, romance) · gl ruar (roam about for pleasure) · sh ševrdati (roam about for pleasure) · mk кокети́ра (flirt, romance) · gd beadraich (flirt, romance) · mk ака (roam about for pleasure) · sv drälla (roam about for pleasure) · de herumstreunen (roam about for pleasure) · nrf galvaûder (roam about for pleasure) · ru флиртовать (flirt, romance) · it andare a zonzo (roam about for pleasure) · fr flirter (flirt, romance) · it bighellonare (roam about for pleasure) · sv dröna (roam about for pleasure) · es callejear (roam about for pleasure) · nl flirten (flirt, romance) · cs flirtovat (flirt, romance) · mk се додворува (flirt, romance) · ka ფლირტი (flirt, romance) · mk се проведува (roam about for pleasure) · es pasear (roam about for pleasure) · it girovagare (roam about for pleasure) · sh vrludati (roam about for pleasure) · de herumbummeln (roam about for pleasure) · ka ხეტიალი (roam about for pleasure)