Gantlet

Pronunciation: /ˈɡɔntlɪt/

Definitions of gantlet

noun a form of punishment or torture in which the victim is forced to run between two lines of people who strike at him or her

Example Sentences

A1 The knight had to run the gantlet to prove his bravery.

A2 In ancient times, criminals were forced to run the gantlet as punishment.

B1 The new employee had to go through a gantlet of interviews before being hired.

B2 The politician faced a gantlet of tough questions during the press conference.

C1 The athlete had to go through a gantlet of drug tests to prove their innocence.

C2 The CEO had to navigate a gantlet of challenges in order to turn the company around.

Examples of gantlet in a Sentence

formal The soldier had to run the gantlet of enemy fire to reach the safety of the bunker.

informal I had to go through the gantlet of paperwork just to get a simple permit.

slang She had to run the gantlet of gossip at school after the rumor spread.

figurative The new employee had to run the gantlet of office politics to gain acceptance among his coworkers.

Grammatical Forms of gantlet

• past tense: gantleted
• plural: gantlets
• comparative: more gantlet
• superlative: most gantlet
• present tense: gantlets
• future tense: will gantlet
• perfect tense: have gantleted
• continuous tense: is gantleting
• singular: gantlet
• positive degree: gantlet
• infinitive: to gantlet
• gerund: gantleting
• participle: gantleting

Origin and Evolution of gantlet

First Known Use: 1676 year

Language of Origin: Swedish

Story behind the word: The word 'gantlet' originates from the Swedish word 'gatlopp' which means 'lane course'. It was later adopted into English as 'gauntlet'.

Evolution of the word: Initially, 'gantlet' referred to a form of punishment where a person had to run between two lines of people who would strike them. Over time, the spelling shifted to 'gauntlet' and the meaning evolved to also include a challenge or ordeal that one must endure.