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

• 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

Farther up, on Observatory Hill, tall cryptomeria trees were silhouetted in the darkening evening, and down in the valleys, lights winked on like reflections of the planets and stars appearing in the sky. —Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2025

Monday morning the coastal areas and any inland valleys that remain clear. —Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025

Nasty Northwest In the Northwest, a storm system will come ashore by Halloween, spreading coastal and valley rain and some mountain snow. —Doyle Rice, USA Today, 27 Oct. 2025

Leadville Railroad When in town, don’t forget to hop aboard the Leadville Railroad for a scenic journey through the high-country valleys and mining areas around the San Isabel National Forest. —Karthika Gupta, Travel + Leisure, 27 Oct. 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