The aim of this study is to elucidate the influence of the exogenous application of gallic acid (GLA) in alleviating the detrimental effects of salinity (NaCl), osmotic stress (polyethylene glycol; PEG), and their combination in Oryza sativa L. roots. To produce same osmotic potential (−0.5 MPa), 3-week-old rice seedlings were treated with 120 mM NaCl and/or 20 % PEG6000 with/without GLA (0.75 and 1.5 mM) treatments for 72 h. Both alone and combination of stresses decreased growth (RGR) and osmotic potential (ΨΠ). Moreover, stress caused a significant increase in proline (Pro) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) contents. Also, Pokkali and IR-28 had higher H2O2-scavenging enzyme activities including catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and glutathione reductase (GR) activities in NaCl-treated roots. Only CAT activity was induced in both cultivars with PEG. Therefore, the enhanced levels of lipid peroxidation (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS)) were more pronounced under PEG than NaCl. However, GLA significantly mitigated NaCl and/or PEG-induced stress injury. Under salinity, TBARS was lesser in GLA-applied rice that was associated with greater activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POX), and APX. GLA in the presence of PEG improved the activities of CAT and POX. According to these findings, GLA alleviated the damaging effects of NaCl and/or PEG (especially under NaCl) by improving the antioxidative system in rice. This is the first study elucidating the effects of GLA on tolerance to salinity, osmotic stress, and their combination in plants.