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

High temperatures were predicted in the mid-90s to lower triple digits in the inland valleys, and between the high 70s to low 90s along the coast. —Austin Turner, CBS News, 20 Mar. 2026

Gangster Squad had the ugly uncanny-valley aesthetic of a Sin City knockoff, a too-big ensemble, and overly slow-mo-dependent action scenes. —Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026

Each cabin features free self-parking, views of the city or valley, and free Wi-Fi. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Mar. 2026

According to the National Weather Service, temperatures in coastal areas likely peaked on Tuesday, but the heat will intensify in valley and interior areas through Friday, before noticeably falling over the weekend but remaining above normal. —City News Service, Daily News, 19 Mar. 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