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

Valtellina, a 75-mile-long valley that runs along the Swiss border, will be the site of Alpine skiing, snowboarding, freestyle skiing and the debut sport of ski mountaineering. —Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026

Rocky peaks rise sharply from the valley floor, spanning elevations and pockets of habitat that can swing from sweltering to snowing in a single day. —Joan Meiners, AZCentral.com, 6 Feb. 2026

Sprinklings of snowfall throughout the season coat the town, towering mountain ridges, and views of the valleys. —Sophie Knight, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Feb. 2026

Milan will primarily host the ice events, while the remaining events be hosted in clusters around Cortina and the Valtellina and Fiemme valleys. —Lucia I Suarez Sang, CBS News, 6 Feb. 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
• 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