Vale
noun /veɪl/ — A valley, especially a broad one
Definition
A valley — typically one that is broad, gentle, and pastoral. In poetry, 'vale' carries a particular tenderness: it is a sheltered place, a world held between hills.
Beyond the definition
The valley with a soul. 'Vale' is the word poets choose when they want the landscape to feel inhabited, protected, quietly alive.
Origin & history
From Old French 'val', from Latin 'vallis' (valley). 'Vale of tears' — the world as a place of sorrow — is one of its oldest figurative uses.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
The vale stretched out below them, green and unhurried, smoke rising from chimneys.
To live in a vale is to be held by the land on three sides — there's comfort in that.
The vale of years — Shakespeare's phrase for old age — suggests both shelter and narrowing.
How to use it
This entry uses a noun. Follow the examples for articles and singular or plural forms; not every noun takes “a” or “an.”
Choose “Vale” when the meaning fits your context: A valley — typically one that is broad, gentle, and pastoral. In poetry, 'vale' carries a particular tenderness: it is a sheltered place, a world held between hills.
Synonyms
valley, dale, glen, hollow, dell
Antonyms
peak, summit, ridge
Related words
Questions about this word
What does "Vale" mean?
Vale is noun meaning: A valley, especially a broad one. A valley — typically one that is broad, gentle, and pastoral. In poetry, 'vale' carries a particular tenderness: it is a sheltered place, a world held between hills.
Where does the word "Vale" come from?
From Old French 'val', from Latin 'vallis' (valley). 'Vale of tears' — the world as a place of sorrow — is one of its oldest figurative uses.