valiant
Americanadjective
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boldly courageous; brave; stout-hearted.
a valiant soldier.
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marked by or showing bravery or valor; heroic.
to make a valiant effort.
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worthy; excellent.
adjective
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courageous, intrepid, or stout-hearted; brave
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marked by bravery or courage
a valiant deed
Synonym Usage
See brave.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of valiant
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English valia(u)nt, from Anglo-French; Middle French vaillant, present participle of valoir “to be of worth,” Latin valēre; see -ant
Explanation
It was pretty courageous of the automaker Plymouth to name a car the "Valiant" in the 1960s and 70s because that term usually refers to a hero or describes a really determined, or valiant, effort that doesn't end well. Synonyms for valiant include "heroic" and "courageous," so it isn’t surprising that those who serve in the military often are called valiant. The 14th-century French origins of the word are "bold" or "of worth," which makes the adjective valiant a good one for describing ordinary people who put all they have into something, making their efforts valiant, even if they fail. The Plymouth Valiant, by the way, was considered a strong and successful car, though valiant usually refers to people.
Vocabulary lists containing valiant
"Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" by Rudyard Kipling
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Much Ado About Nothing
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Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In recent years, the Air Force has looked for new ways to use the Reaper in combat, sending it to large-scale combat exercises, including Valiant Shield in the Pacific and Red Flag in Alaska.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 16, 2026
On 8 December, Iranian authorities seized an oil tanker, MT Valiant Roar, while it was in international waters.
From BBC • Jan. 30, 2026
He headlines several Melbourne Cup-winning jockeys back again, including 2020 champion Jye McNeil on the Chris Waller-trained Valiant King, whose prospects soared after drawing barrier 10.
From Barron's • Nov. 3, 2025
Luckily a former employee and friend Phil Valiant became that guy.
From Salon • Jul. 16, 2024
Pretty soon we’ll all be in Ob’s Valiant, traveling like wise men to Bethlehem, looking for that star in the sky that might point us to May.
From "Missing May" by Cynthia Rylant
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
