Meaning & use
valiant
Last updated
UK/ˈvæliənt/
US/ˈvæljənt/
Meanings
adjectivecomparableliterary
Brave and determined, especially when facing danger or difficulty.
Grammar: Usually before a noun: a valiant effort.
The firefighters made a valiant rescue attempt.
He put up a valiant fight against the illness.
adjectivebefore a noun
Showing real effort even though it does not succeed.
Grammar: Often valiant effort or attempt.
The team made a valiant effort but lost.
It was a valiant attempt to save the shop.
Word forms
| comparative | more valiant |
|---|---|
| superlative | most valiant |
Common combinations
- valiant effort
- She made a valiant effort to finish.
- valiant attempt
- It was a valiant attempt.
- valiant knight
- The valiant knight rode on.
- valiant struggle
- A valiant struggle ended in defeat.
Synonyms and how they differ
- brave
- Brave is the common, everyday word.
- courageous
- Courageous is more formal and stresses moral strength.
- heroic
- Heroic suggests great deeds worthy of a hero.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: valiant or valid?
valiant vs valid
Valid means acceptable or logically sound, not brave.
Practice
Though the team lost, they gave a ___ performance.
Choose one answer.
Valiant praises brave effort. Vain would mean useless or conceited.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “valiant”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
Your sentence stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.