valiant

1 of 2

adjective

val·​iant ˈval-yənt How to pronounce valiant (audio)
Synonyms of valiant
1
: possessing or acting with bravery or boldness : courageous
valiant soldiers
2
: marked by, exhibiting, or carried out with courage or determination : heroic
valiant feats
valiantly adverb
valiantness noun

valiant

2 of 2

noun

: a valiant person

Synonyms of valiant

Relevance

Adjective

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of valiant in a Sentence

Adjective She died last year after a valiant battle with cancer. Despite their valiant efforts, they lost the game. She made a valiant attempt to fix the problem.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
Both were wins, a maiden-breaking score at seven furlongs (3/4 of a mile) at Churchill Downs on June 7, 2026 and a valiant win by a neck in the mile and a sixteenth Indiana Derby on July 11. — Danny Brewer, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026 On the 35th anniversary of Ukrainian Independence Day, Field of Vision is launching a new documentary on Ukraine’s valiant fight to maintain its freedom. — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 24 Aug. 2026 What would be the worst moment in a mere mortal’s career, Hoecht turned into a valiant scene. — Tim Graham, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026 Instead, they’re made to symbolize everything valiant and determined about the Scottish investigators and everything well-meaning but misguided about their American colleagues, respectively. — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 30 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for valiant

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English vailant, valiant, borrowed from Anglo-French vaillant "worthy, strong, courageous," from present participle of valer "to be of worth," going back to Latin valēre "to have strength, be well" — more at wield

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of valiant was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

valiancy
valiant
valiantly
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Valiant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/valiant. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

valiant

1 of 2 adjective
val·​iant ˈval-yənt How to pronounce valiant (audio)
1
: boldly brave
2
: done with courage : heroic
valiantly adverb

valiant

2 of 2 noun
: a valiant person
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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