Meaning & use
in the valley
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Meanings
phrasefixed phrase
Inside or within a valley, especially a low area of land between hills or mountains.
Grammar: Used as an adverbial phrase after verbs like live, stay, be, or as a postmodifier after nouns.
Patterns
- live in the valley
- be in the valley
- the house in the valley
They built a small cabin in the valley.
The river flows gently in the valley below the cliffs.
We spent the afternoon walking in the valley.
phrasefixed phrasefigurative
In a low or depressed position, literally or figuratively (e.g., 'the valley of despair').
Grammar: Often used metaphorically in phrases like 'in the valley of ...' to describe a low point.
Patterns
- in the valley of something
After losing his job, he felt he was in the valley of despair.
The company is in the valley of debt and needs a new strategy.
Common combinations
- deep in the valley
- The village lies deep in the valley, far from any main road.
- down in the valley
- Down in the valley, the temperature is often warmer than on the hills.
- in the valley below
- From the peak, we could see the farms in the valley below.
- in the valley of the shadow of death
- The poem describes walking in the valley of the shadow of death.
Synonyms and how they differ
- in the dale
- Literary or regional; 'dale' is a valley, especially in northern England.
- in the glen
- Scottish or Irish; a narrow valley, often with a stream.
Opposites
Word family
- valley noun
- A low area of land between hills or mountains.
Commonly confused: in the valley or in the vale?
in the valley vs in the vale
'Vale' is a literary or poetic word for valley; less common in everyday speech.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence:
Choose one answer.
'In the valley' is the correct preposition for being inside a valley. 'On the valley' is wrong because 'on' suggests a surface; 'at' would be used for a point or location, not inside; 'into' shows movement, not static location.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “in the valley”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.