valiant

1 of 2

adjective

val·​iant ˈval-yənt 

1

: possessing or acting with bravery or boldness : courageous

valiant soldiers

2

: marked by, exhibiting, or carried out with courage or determination : heroic

valiant feats

valiantly adverb

valiantness noun

valiant

2 of 2

noun

: a valiant person

Synonyms of valiant

Adjective

• brave
• courageous
• gallant
• heroic
• fearless

Examples of valiant in a Sentence

Adjective

She died last year after a valiant battle with cancer.

Despite their valiant efforts, they lost the game.

She made a valiant attempt to fix the problem.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Minnesota goaltender Luca Di Pasquo was valiant on enemy ice, making 40 saves to keep the hosts from turning the game into a blowout. —Tom Carothers, Twin Cities, 24 Jan. 2026

Miami Hurricanes quarterback Carson Beck gave it a valiant effort, but his team came up just short in the college football national championship against the Indiana Hoosiers. —Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 21 Jan. 2026

But the Thunder, as small as can be without injured centers Isaiah Hartenstein, Jaylin Williams and Holmgren, pieced together a valiant comeback behind the efforts of eight-year veteran forward Kenrich Williams. —Joel Lorenzi, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2026

Knicks fans booed their valiant, heroic, oftentimes teflon team when the Hawks’ lead ballooned to 29 points midway through the third quarter. —Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 3 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English vailant, valiant, borrowed from Anglo-French vaillant "worthy, strong, courageous," from present participle of valer "to be of worth," going back to Latin valēre "to have strength, be well" — more at wield

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

valiant

1 of 2 adjective

val·​iant ˈval-yənt 

1

: boldly brave

2

: done with courage : heroic

valiantly adverb

valiant

2 of 2 noun

: a valiant person