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

See Examples For:

valley valleys

The uncanny valley is live for consumption, for free, at No. 300 on the Roku Channel’s Live TV Guide.

From Slate ● Aug. 16, 2026

Military personnel and an Army helicopter have also been supporting firefighters in Cwmavon, a village in the Afan valley.

From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026

The NNA also said that "the valley between Ansar and Zarariyeh was also subjected to a strike, the first at this geographical depth since the ceasefire two months ago".

From Barron's ● Aug. 15, 2026

The setting is the Prespa lakes region, a mountain valley where three countries—Albania, Greece and North Macedonia—share borders, a park and abundant natural resources.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

The thunder of the, falls was loud, and from its sound, and the view of treetops at the cave mouth, he guessed they must be some way up the side of the valley.

From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver

Videos shared by Nepal police and others on social media showed torrents of muddy water crashing through mountain valleys in the Himalayan district bordering China.

From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026

Llamau warned, despite being at the forefront, Wales could fall behind the rest of the UK as, without support, expanding outside south Wales and the valleys will be a long, slow process.

From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026

“Three major rivers, flowing in three different directions, carving out the three valleys . . . gave rise to three great civilizations—French, German, and Italian.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

Forecasters warned of elevated fire weather conditions in interior valleys, mountains and deserts across L.A.,

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026

Then Hermes carried it to be cared for by the nymphs of Nysa—the loveliest of earth’s valleys, but no man has ever looked upon Nysa or knows where it lies.

From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton

Related Words

• basin
• canyon
• gorge
• lowland
• plain