valley
gb/vˈæli/ us/vˈæli/
A2
English
~ 2400
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
entity
1
Low land between hills/mountains
A low area of land between hills or mountains, sometimes with a river.
Usage pattern:
[something] is in the valley
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'valley' with 'canyon'. A canyon is usually deeper, narrower, and has steeper sides than most valleys.
Synonyms
dale (More common in British English and often used in poetic or regional contexts.)
|
glen (Mainly used in Scotland for narrow valleys.)
Antonyms
mountain (A high landform, opposite of a low area like a valley.)
|
hilltop (The highest point of a hill, contrasting with a valley's low position.)
Collocations
mountain valley
|river valley
|fertile valley
|deep valley
|narrow valley
Themes
geography
|nature
|travel
|space
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The village lies in a quiet valley surrounded by forests.
- We hiked through the valley to reach the next town.
- The river flows gently through the wide valley.
- In spring, the valley is covered with wildflowers.
- The fog settled in the valley overnight.
Learner examples
- There is a small house in the valley.
- The river runs through the valley.
- We walked across the valley.
- The valley is green and beautiful.
Grammar
Dictionary form
valley
IPA
GB/vˈæli/
US/vˈæli/
Syllables & stress
val - ley (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (val)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: valley
- Plural: valleys
Word family
Forms
valleys
noun
Expressions
valley floor
1/vˈæli flˈɔɹ/
fixed phrase
Lowest flat part of a valley
The flat or lowest part of a valley.
Examples
- The farmers grow crops on the valley floor.
- The valley floor was covered in mist after the rain.
valley of death
1/vˈæli əv dˈɛθ/
idiom
literary
Dangerous or deadly place/situation
A very dangerous place or situation where people may die.
Examples
- The soldiers marched into the valley of death.
- Starting a business without research can be like entering a valley of death.
Silicon Valley
1/sˈɪlɪkən vˈæli/
fixed phrase
US region and tech industry center
An area in Northern California, near San Francisco, where many big technology and internet companies have their offices; also used to mean the US tech industry in general.
Examples
- Many start-ups are based in Silicon Valley.
- After graduation, she moved to Silicon Valley to work for a startup.
- Silicon Valley attracts engineers from around the world.
- Many people say Silicon Valley has too much power over our online lives.
- The government is looking closely at major Silicon Valley firms over privacy concerns.