valley

noun

val·​ley ˈva-lē 

plural valleys

1

a

: an elongate 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

• dale
• dene [British]
• hollow
• vale

Examples of valley in a Sentence

the valley will be the first to flood if the river rises

Recent Examples on the Web

Multiple rooms in the house also feature floor-to-ceiling windows, giving sweeping views of the rolling mountains and valleys. —Angel Saunders, People.com, 23 Apr. 2025

Witnesses on the ground said the cable car plummeted into the valley below, hitting a pylon on the way down. —Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN Money, 18 Apr. 2025

Between 24 and seven million years ago, shifting tectonic plates caused to alps to rise up and caused the collapse of the valley floor, allowing water from the Mediterranean to enter. —Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 18 Apr. 2025

No cotton this time and songbirds be damned — the king of this valley had spoken. —Thomas Weddle, Outdoor Life, 17 Apr. 2025

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