valley

American  

[val-ee] / ˈvæl i /

noun

valleys plural

1. an elongated depression between uplands, hills, or mountains, especially one following the course of a stream.

2. an extensive, more or less flat, and relatively low region drained by a great river system.

3. any depression or hollow resembling a valley.

4. a low point or interval in any process, representation, or situation.

5. any place, period, or situation that is filled with fear, gloom, foreboding, or the like.

   the valley of despair.

6. Architecture. a depression or angle formed by the meeting of two inclined sides of a roof.

7. the lower phase of a horizontal wave motion.

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valley British  

/ ˈvælɪ /

noun

1. a long depression in the land surface, usually containing a river, formed by erosion or by movements in the earth's crust

2. the broad area drained by a single river system

   the Thames valley

3. any elongated depression resembling a valley

4. the junction of a roof slope with another or with a wall

5. (modifier) relating to or proceeding by way of a valley

   a valley railway

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valley Scientific  

/ văl′ē /

1. A long, narrow region of low land between ranges of mountains, hills, or other high areas, often having a river or stream running along the bottom. Valleys are most commonly formed through the erosion of land by rivers or glaciers. They also form where large regions of land are lowered because of geological faults.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• intervalley
  noun
• valleylike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• valleys
  plural

Etymology

Origin of valley

1250–1300; Middle English valeie, valey < Old French valee, equivalent to val vale ( def. ) + -ee < Latin -āta, feminine of -ātus -ate ¹

Explanation

If you live in a valley, you probably get more fog than they do up in the hills around you. Fog tends to be more common down in the valley, the low area that often forms near a river. If you're into fishing, swimming, and tubing, then a valley is the place for you, because valleys usually have rivers or other streams running through them. The Napa Valley is an area in northern California that is famous for its good wine and food, though technically it's not all a valley; parts of it are quite hilly. Another famous valley, the San Fernando, lies at the foot of the hills of Los Angeles. You might have heard of the infamous "Valley Girl." In movies, Valley girls are usually blonde and say "like" and "totally" a lot. "Like, oh, my God! That low, flat stretch of terrain, is like, totally a valley!"

Example Sentences

Johnson, an ex-Silicon Valley billionaire, gained fame for wanting to live forever.

From BBC • Jul. 11, 2026

This is what motivated the central bank to step in after the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank in March 2023.

From MarketWatch • Jul. 11, 2026

Her first couple of years abroad were fine, she said, but when she moved to a smaller city in the Loire Valley in France, she felt more isolated.

From Salon • Jul. 11, 2026

Multiple homes and outbuildings were on fire after a brush fire quickly spread in Lucerne Valley, fire officials said.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 10, 2026

Three hours later the whole family—plus Chip—were all loaded into their minivan, headed toward Clarksville Valley High School.

From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Related Words

• basin
• canyon
• gorge
• lowland
• plain