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

This homeland belongs to the noble, sovereign, and valiant people of Venezuela. —Mandy Taheri, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025

The Tommies valiant effort came up just short of a monumental upset. —Andrew Cornelius, Twin Cities, 6 Dec. 2025

This came on the heels of a 17-point night in a valiant performance against the 21-1 defending champion Thunder. —Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 5 Dec. 2025

Jaden Henderson had 21 points and KJ Garris scored 19, but Cal State Fullerton’s valiant comeback fell a few points short against Peter Bandelj and Cal Poly on Thursday night. —Oc Register, 5 Dec. 2025

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