valley

noun

val·​ley ˈva-lē 

plural valleys

1

a

: an elongated depression of the earth's surface usually between ranges of hills or mountains

b

: an area drained by a river and its tributaries

2

: a low point or condition

3

a

: hollow, depression

b

: the place of meeting of two slopes of a roof that form on the plan a reentrant angle

Synonyms of valley

• canyon
• ravine
• gorge
• glen
• hollow
• vale
• dale

Examples of valley in a Sentence

the valley will be the first to flood if the river rises

Recent Examples on the Web

When winter arrived, Caltrans dispatched him east to Caples Lake in the Sierra Nevada mountains to work as a chain controller — part of an annual seasonal draw from valley yards to keep heavy mountain passes operational. — Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 15 Sep. 2026

Historic Hills Scenic Byway Iowa Autumn color paints the valleys and family farms between the Villages of Van Buren County, seven historic burgs punctuating this quiet 105-mile drive along the Des Moines River in southeast Iowa. — Hannah Agran, Midwest Living, 12 Sep. 2026

This comes after a partial glacier collapse in the Himalayan mountains unleashed a sudden surge of water, mud, and debris that swept through border crossings, valley communities, and hydropower projects on August 26. — Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 10 Sep. 2026

Temperatures in some parts of the coast and nearby valleys could drop 4 to 8 degrees Thursday, while only dropping a degree or two in the mountains and foothills, the Weather Service’s Oxnard office said. — Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English valeye, borrowed from Anglo-French valee (early Old French valede), from val "valley" + -ee, noun suffix (here with augmentative force), going back to Latin -āta, feminine of -ātus -ate entry 1 — more at vale

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing valley

• inter-valley
• lily of the valley
• rift valley
• San Joaquin valley fever
• uncanny valley
• valley fever

Rhymes for valley

• alley
• alli
• bally
• calli
• challis
• dally
• galley
• galli
• lally
• mallee
• mally
• rally

Kids Definition

valley

noun

val·​ley ˈval-ē 

plural valleys

: an area of lowland between ranges of hills or mountains