Meaning & use
valorous
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Meaning
adjectivecomparableliteraryformal
Very brave, especially in battle or in a dangerous struggle.
Grammar: Used before a noun or after a linking verb: a valorous knight; the knight was valorous.
Patterns
- a valorous soldier
- valorous deeds
The poem celebrates a valorous knight who never turns from danger.
Her valorous defense of the village is remembered in local songs.
He made a valorous attempt to save the drowning child.
Word forms
| comparative | more valorous |
|---|---|
| superlative | most valorous |
Common combinations
- valorous deeds
- The old stories tell of his valorous deeds in the war.
- valorous knight
- In the tale, a valorous knight rescues the queen.
- valorous struggle
- They put up a valorous struggle against the invaders.
- valorous effort
- Despite the loss, it was a valorous effort by the young team.
Synonyms and how they differ
- brave
- Brave is the everyday word and fits most situations; valorous is more formal and literary.
- courageous
- Courageous emphasizes control of fear and is more common in modern writing than valorous.
- heroic
- Heroic suggests great deeds and often admiration; valorous focuses on bravery itself.
- gallant
- Gallant is old-fashioned and often suggests polite, dashing bravery; valorous is more solemn.
Opposites
Word family
- valor noun
- Great bravery, especially in battle.
- valorously adverb
- In a very brave way.
Commonly confused: valorous or valueless?
valorous vs valueless
Valueless means having no value or worth; valorous means brave. They look similar but are unrelated in meaning.
Practice
Which sentence uses valorous correctly?
Choose one answer.
Valorous is an adjective meaning brave, so it describes a knight going into battle. The price sentence confuses it with valuable; the third uses an adjective where an adverb is needed; the fourth makes no sense with the meaning brave.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “valorous”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.