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

• intervalley
  noun
• valleylike
  adjective

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

The main valley visible in the image enters from the lower left and exits toward the north on the right side of the frame.

From Science Daily • May 15, 2026

ESA's Mars Express mission is spotlighting Shalbatana Vallis this month, an enormous Martian valley marked by evidence of ancient water, volcanic activity, impact craters, and collapsed terrain.

From Science Daily • May 15, 2026

It climbs either side of a valley created by the River Esk, as it joins the port where whalers once launched and Captain Cook first commandeered the HMS Endeavour.

From Los Angeles Times • May 14, 2026

When we made “Chaos Angel” we were maybe in a slightly uncanny valley of being friends who were in love but not together at all.

From Los Angeles Times • May 11, 2026

‘We’ve got a whole valley to cross before we reach the Windriver.’

From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver

Related Words

• basin
• canyon
• gorge
• lowland
• plain