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

Seattle Lone Point Cellars Perched on top of a hill with sweeping views of the valley below, Lone Point Cellars is the perfect spot to unwind after a day of hiking. —Laura Parker, Forbes, 25 Sep. 2024

About 12% of the valley’s wine production is white, up from 7% in 2015, but Inter Rhône has stated that the region intends to increase production significantly by the end of the decade. —Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 24 Sep. 2024

Ciotti was born to a bricklayer and a stay-at-home mother in 1945, in the Belluno province, in a valley in the Dolomites. —D. T. Max, The New Yorker, 23 Sep. 2024

Here’s a great piece from this week: In 2018, emergency dispatchers received a strange call from a remote valley in Riverside County. —Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 22 Sep. 2024

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

Kids Definition

valley

noun

val·​ley ˈval-ē 

plural valleys

: an area of lowland between ranges of hills or mountains