Antonyms for throw down gauntlet
Grammar : Verb |
Spell : gawnt-lit, gahnt- |
Phonetic Transcription : ˈgɔnt lɪt, ˈgɑnt- |
Definition of throw down gauntlet
Origin :- "glove," early 15c., gantelet, from Old French gantelet (13c.) "gauntlet worn by a knight in armor," also a token of one's personality or person, and symbolizing a challenge, e.g. tendre son gantelet "throw down the gauntlet" (a sense found in English by 1540s); semi-diminutive or double-diminutive of gant "glove" (12c.), earlier wantos (7c.), from Frankish *wanth-, from Proto-Germanic *wantuz "glove" (cf. Middle Dutch want "mitten," East Frisian want, wante, Old Norse vöttr "glove," Danish vante "mitten"), which apparently is related to Old High German wintan, Old English windan "turn around, wind" (see wind (v.)).
- The name must orig. have applied to a strip of cloth wrapped about the hand to protect it from sword-blows, a frequent practice in the Icelandic sagas. [Buck]
- Italian guanto, Spanish guante are likewise ultimately from Germanic. The spelling with -u- was established from 1500s.
- As in take on : verb challenge, oppose
- As in throw down the gauntlet : verb invite to do battle
- As in challenge : verb dispute, question
- As in dare : verb challenge, defy someone
Synonyms for throw down gauntlet
- accost
- arouse
- ask for
- ask for trouble
- assert
- beard
- brave
- buck
- bully
- call for
- call one's bluff
- call out
- challenge
- claim
- confront
- contest
- cope
- cross
- cross swards
- dare
- defy
- demand
- denounce
- dispute
- disregard
- do something about it
- exact
- face
- face down
- face off
- face the music
- fly in the face of
- front
- go eyeball to eyeball with
- go one on one with
- go toe to toe with
- go up against
- goad
- hang in
- impeach
- impose
- impugn
- inquire
- insist upon
- insult
- investigate
- invite competition
- invite to debate
- knock chip off shoulder
- knock the chip off one's shoulder
- laugh at
- make a point of
- make a stand
- make my day
- meet
- meet face to face
- mock
- muster courage
- object to
- oppose
- outdare
- provoke
- query
- question
- reclaim
- require
- resist
- run the gauntlet
- scorn
- search out
- spurn
- square off
- stand up to
- start something
- step over the line
- stick it out
- stimulate
- summon
- take one on
- taunt
- tax
- test
- threaten
- throw down gauntlet
- throw down the gauntlet
- try
- vindicate
Based on : Thesaurus.com - Gutenberg.org - Dictionary.com - Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019