gadlus

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Definitions

  • n. Greatness, superiority; conceit.

  • adj. Tremendous, remarkable.

Example Sentences

  • "True gadlus never wavers. A legacy of greatness lives on forever!" (source)

  • “I bought the fanciest model, but I don't see its gadlus." (Weiser)

  • “It's gadlus to finish Shas by the age of 20.” (Weiser)

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Languages of Origin

  • Textual Hebrew
  • Yiddish

Etymology

  • גדלות gadles 'pride, arrogance, vanity'

      • Who Uses This

      • Orthodox: Jews who identify as Orthodox and observe halacha (Jewish law)
      • Older: Jews who are middle-aged and older
      • Ashkenazim: Jews with Ashkenazi heritage

      Regions

      • North America

      Dictionaries

      • Yiddish and English: A Century of Yiddish in America, by Sol Steinmetz (Tuscaloosa, 1986).
      • Frumspeak: The First Dictionary of Yeshivish, by Chaim Weiser (Northvale, 1995).

      Alternative Spellings

      gadles, gadlis

Notes

  • Though its use is negative in Yiddish, it can be either positive or negative in English.

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