gallop

gallop — verb

1. to run at top speed, like a horse when each stride lifts all its feet from the g

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveB1
Definition

to run at top speed, like a horse when each stride lifts all its feet from the ground. If you gallop a horse, you ride it in this fast way.

Example

Ezra learned to gallop confidently across the open field after months of lessons.

gallop across [open area]

The chestnut mare galloped wildly through the meadow toward the river below.

Common collocations
  • gallop across
  • gallop through
  • gallop toward
  • gallop along
  • gallop past
  • gallop + direct object (horse / pony / mare)
Synonyms
  • canter

    a slower, easier run with a three-beat rhythm — gallop is the fastest gait

  • race

    can apply to people or vehicles running at top speed, while gallop is specific to horses

  • sprint

    a short, very fast run done by a person on foot

Antonyms
  • walk

    the slowest gait of a horse, with one foot always on the ground

  • trot

    a medium-speed gait between walk and canter

Grammar Patterns

gallop (intransitive — horse moves at top speed)

gallop + noun (ride a horse at this speed)

Usage Note

As an intransitive verb the subject is usually a horse or other four-legged animal. As a transitive verb the subject is a rider and the direct object is the animal being ridden.

Common Mistakes

The car galloped down the street.
The car sped down the street.
gallop describes the movement of animals or riders, not machines.

2. to move, do something, or go somewhere very fast, especially when you are in a h

2.verbintransitiveB2
Definition

to move, do something, or go somewhere very fast, especially when you are in a hurry.

Example

Feng galloped through his homework so he could go out and play football.

gallop through [task] = do quickly

The runners galloped down the hill toward the waiting yellow school bus.

Common collocations
  • gallop through (homework / report / meal / speech)
  • gallop past
  • gallop along
  • gallop down
Synonyms
  • rush

    more general and common — can be used for any hurried action

  • dash

    suggests sudden fast movement, often with a clear destination

  • hurry

    focuses on doing things quickly, often because of limited time

Antonyms
  • crawl

    to move extremely slowly; the direct opposite of hurrying

  • dawdle

    to take more time than needed, moving slowly without purpose

Grammar Patterns

gallop through + noun (task, document, meal)

gallop + adverb of direction (past, down, along)

Usage Note

Often used with the particle 'through' to describe finishing a task hurriedly. The subject is usually a person, not an animal.

Common Mistakes

I galloped the report to my boss.
I galloped through the report and gave it to my boss.
gallop through means to do something quickly, not to send something.

gallop — noun

Word family

  • galloping
    adjectiveB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

These words all describe running, but at different speeds and on different subjects. A gallop is the fastest horse gait — all four feet leave the ground together. A canter is slower, with a three-beat rhythm that feels smoother to the rider. A trot is a two-beat diagonal gait, faster than a walk but slower than a canter — it often feels bouncier. Sprint is different because it refers to a person running at top speed for a short distance. If you ride a horse on a trail, you might walk through the woods, trot along the road, canter across a field, and gallop only when there is open space ahead.

gallop ↗canter ↗trot ↗sprint ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • at a gallop
  • break into a gallop

Prepositions

Etymology

FrankishOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

Gallop entered English in the 1400s from Old French 'galoper', which likely came from a Frankish compound 'wala hlaupan' meaning 'to run well'. The word originally described the fastest gait of a horse, and over time it developed a figurative use for any very fast movement.