Valhalla
noun
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In Norse mythology, the souls of warriors who died nobly in battle were brought to a magnificent palace, where they spent their days fighting for diversion, immune from lasting injury, and their evenings lustily feasting on freshly killed boar and quaffing the free-flowing mead. In Old Norse, the word for this warrior heaven is Valhǫll (literally, "hall of the slain"); in German, it is Walhalla. English speakers picked up the name as Valhalla in the 18th century. Nowadays, we can use the word figuratively, and induction or admission into a modern-day Valhalla doesn't require passing from this life. It can be a place of honor (a hall of fame, for example) or a place of bliss (as in "an ice cream lover's Valhalla").
Examples of Valhalla in a Sentence
Sally Hoelscher, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2025
After a mediocre entry in 2023’s Assassin’s Creed Mirage—which began as Valhalla DLC and was developed by B-team Ubisoft Bordeaux—Shadows is an all-in, massive budget monstrosity led by the very Aist of teams.
—ArsTechnica, 18 Apr. 2025
Ava Barclay, Clairemont, Sr. Gianna Adams, Valhalla, So.
—John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Apr. 2025
This was Valhalla McIlroy, a young 25-year-old cockily strutting through the dark to win the 2014 PGA Championship.
—Brody Miller, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for Valhalla
Cite this Entry
“Valhalla.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Valhalla. Accessed 6 May. 2025.
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Valhalla
noun
derived from an early Norse word Valhǫll, literally "hall of the slain," from valr "those slain (in battle)" and hǫll "hall"
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