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
Related Words
See brave.
Other Word Forms
- overvaliant adjective
- overvaliantness noun
- unvaliant adjective
- unvaliantness noun
- valiance noun
- valiantly adverb
- valiantness noun
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; -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.
That this valiant display coincides with the anniversary of the Coens’ landmark film only further confirms the perennial relevance of “Fargo.”
From Salon • Feb. 7, 2026
Ish Sodhi hit a valiant 33 off 15 balls before he fell as the last wicket with New Zealand bowled out in 19.4 overs.
From Barron's • Jan. 31, 2026
After being broken in the third set, he immediately called for the trainer and, after a valiant attempt at his next service game, called it quits.
From BBC • Jan. 28, 2026
Malinche’s portrayal as a valiant Cortés enabler doesn’t seem to bother audiences, though some decry the work’s pro-Spanish take on the Conquest.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 25, 2026
The New York Herald Tribune found one reporter’s valiant attempt to get more than a monosyllabic answer out of him so amusing that it published a transcript of the entire nonconversation.
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
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.
