Meaning & use
valley
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Meanings
nouncountable
A low stretch of land lying between hills or mountains, often with a river.
Grammar: Countable; can be used with 'a' or in the plural: 'a valley', 'two valleys'.
Patterns
- a valley between something
- in the valley
- a river valley
The village sits in a green valley surrounded by mountains.
We drove through the valley and stopped by the river.
The valley is famous for its vineyards and mild climate.
nouncountablefigurative
A low point or period in someone's life or career.
Grammar: Often used figuratively in phrases like 'a valley in one's career'.
Patterns
- a valley in something
- go through a valley
After losing his job, he went through a deep valley.
The company is in a valley right now, but we expect recovery.
She described her illness as the lowest valley of her life.
Word forms
| plural | valleys |
|---|
Common combinations
- river valley
- The river valley is fertile and good for farming.
- deep valley
- A deep valley separated the two villages.
- valley floor
- The valley floor was covered with wildflowers.
- mountain valley
- They hiked down into a remote mountain valley.
- valley of death
- The phrase 'valley of death' refers to a dangerous or difficult period.
Synonyms and how they differ
- dale
- A literary or regional word for a valley, common in poetry and place names.
- glen
- A narrow valley, especially in Scotland or Ireland; more specific than valley.
- ravine
- A deep, narrow valley with steep sides; usually smaller and more dramatic than a valley.
Opposites
Word family
- valleyed adjective
- Having valleys; rare, used in descriptions like 'valleyed terrain'.
Commonly confused: valley or village?
valley vs village
A village is a small settlement; a valley is a landform. They can appear together ('a village in a valley') but are not the same.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'valley' correctly?
Choose one answer.
A valley is a low area between hills, so a river can flow through it. You climb a mountain, not a valley; valleys are not tall; and a valley is not part of a building.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “valley”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.