What it means
To gallivant is to swan off here, there, and everywhere chasing a good time instead of doing anything remotely sensible. It usually has a teasing vibe to it, like you're out roaming with your mates, living your best little side-quest life while your responsibilities sit at home tapping their foot.
Usage examples
"They spent the whole retirement gallivanting across Europe in a camper van, sending us postcards from places we couldn’t pronounce."
"Less gallivanting and more revising, your exams start in a week and you have been out every single night."
"While we were stuck doing the washing up, she was off gallivanting round the festival with a flower crown on."
"He said he was popping out for milk and ended up gallivanting round Soho till half two."
"All summer they've been gallivanting up and down the coast in a knackered little car, eating chips on the seafront and pretending they've got no jobs to go back to."
Where it comes from
Recorded in English in the early 1800s, gallivant grew out of gallant. At first it often meant a man fussing around women in a showy, flirtatious way. Later it widened into the modern sense of swanning about for pleasure, fun, or a cheeky little roam instead of anything useful.
Other ways to say it
Editors of this term
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