gigolo
gig·o·lo/ˈd͡ʒɪɡ.ə.loʊ/noun, verb
gigolo is spelled G-I-G-O-L-O: 6 letters and 3 syllables (gig·o·lo). It appears about once in every 3 million words in written English, the 54,808th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, gigolo means “A man funded by women who find him attractive, particularly” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of gigolo is gigolos.
How many letters and syllables are in gigolo?
| Letters | 6: G-I-G-O-L-O |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3: gig·o·lo |
| In writing | about once in every 3 million words; the 54,808th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is gigolo?
Gigolo appears about once in every 3 million words in written English, the 54,808th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce gigolo?
- US /ˈd͡ʒɪɡ.ə.loʊ/
- UK /ˈd͡ʒɪɡ.ə.ləʊ/
Gigolo has 3 syllables, split gig·o·lo in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-gigolo.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of gigolo
- gigolos plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- gigoloes present, singular, he/she/it
- gigoloing participle, present
- gigoloed participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does gigolo mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A man funded by women who find him attractive, particularly
- 2
datedA hired escort or dancing partner.
- 3
A male prostitute with female clients.
verb
- 1
To work or act as a gigolo.
- 2
To provide (someone) with the services of a gigolo.
- 3
To offer (oneself or someone else) to someone as a gigolo.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Gigolo in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | gigolo , prostitué |
| German | Gigolo , Stricher |
| Portuguese | acompanhante , gigolô, garoto de programa |
| Spanish | gigoló , puto, saltimpanqui |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does gigolo come from?
First attested in English in 1922. From French gigolo (“young lover kept by an older woman”), first attested in that sense in 1904 (attested since 1850 in the sense “Amant de cœur, compagnon d'une gigolette", and since 1894 in the sense “elegant young man whose means of livelihood are dubious”), a back-formation from gigolette (“promiscuous dancing girl, girl available for hire as a dancing partner”), attested since 1850, from giguer (“to dance”), from gigue (“fiddle; type of dance; jig”). More at jig.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).