Gryffindor
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 A person having traits associated with Gryffindor house from the Harry Potter series, including bravery, boldness, or an affinity for lions or the colours red and gold. attributive, sometimes
"Barack Obama, on the other hand, is a consummate Gryffindor. He comes across in interviews and speeches as someone who's truly kind and angry about the country's woes, though it's clear he doesn't recklessly allow this anger to cloud his decisions."
Example
More examples"Barack Obama, on the other hand, is a consummate Gryffindor. He comes across in interviews and speeches as someone who's truly kind and angry about the country's woes, though it's clear he doesn't recklessly allow this anger to cloud his decisions."
Etymology
Coined by British author and philanthropist J. K. Rowling, presumably from griffin and a compound of the French d'or.
Related phrases
More for "gryffindor"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.