Valhalla

noun

Val·​hal·​la val-ˈha-lə 

also

väl-ˈhä- 

1

: the great hall in Norse mythology where heroes slain in battle are received

2

: a place of honor, glory, or happiness : heaven

an academic's Valhalla

Did you know?

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

Recent Examples on the Web

Indeed, the Tax Court found that there was approximately 4.5 million such exposure units which was sufficient to get the captive's underwriting well into the that Valhalla of insurance tax law known as the Law Of Large Numbers. —Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2025

Wyndham Clark of the United States reacts after a shot on the 18th hole during the second round of the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club on May 17, 2024 in Louisville, Kentucky. —Julio Cesar Valdera Morales, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Aug. 2025

Point Loma seeks to build on last year’s Division 1 title, the first in school history, with either a step up to the Open Division or a repeat title. Valhalla and Vista are candidates to return to the Open Division. —Glae Thien, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Aug. 2025

Saliva activates the pouch ingredients, which then release caffeine into the bloodstream, says Mill Etienne, MPH, MD, an associate professor of neurology and medicine at the New York Medical College in Valhalla. —Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 6 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from German and Old Norse; German Walhalla, borrowed from Old Norse Valhǫll, literally, "hall of the slain," from valr "the slain" (akin to Old English wæl "slaughter, the slain" and probably to Latin vulnus "wound") + hǫll "hall"; akin to Old English heall "hall" — more at vulnerable, hall

First Known Use

1768, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for Valhalla

• walhalla
• calla
• gala
• palla
• salah
• valla

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!

Kids Definition

Valhalla

noun

Val·​hal·​la val-ˈhal-ə 

: the hall of Odin in Norse mythology to which the Valkyries take heroes killed in battle

Etymology

derived from an early Norse word Valhǫll, literally "hall of the slain," from valr "those slain (in battle)" and hǫll "hall"