valiant

English
WOTD – 3 December 2020

Etymology

From Middle English vailaunt (“having or showing courage or valour, valiant; characterized by valour; powerful, strong; person of valour or strength; excellent, worthy; beneficial, useful; valuable; legally valid, binding”) [and other forms],[1] from Anglo-Norman vaillaunt, vaylant [and other forms], and Old French vailant, vaillant (“brave, valiant; having value, valuable”) [and other forms], from the present participle of valoir (“to have value; to be worth”), from Latin valēre,[2] the present active infinitive of valeō (“to have value; to be worth; to be strong; to have influence or power”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂welh₁- (“powerful, strong; to rule”).

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /ˈvæliənt/
  • Audio (GA)(file)
  • Hyphenation: va‧liant, va‧li‧ant

Adjective

valiant (comparative more valiant, superlative most valiant)

  1. Possessing or showing courage or determination; brave, heroic.
    Synonyms: bold, valorous; see also Thesaurus:brave
    Antonyms: see Thesaurus:cowardly
    A valiant man’s look is more than a coward’s sword.
    • 1560, Thomas Cooper, “To the Ryght Honorable Lorde Russell Erle of Bedforde, and One of the Queenes Maiesties Moste Honorable Counsell: Thomas Cooper Wisheth Longe Continuance of Prosperous Life and Muche Honour.”, in Coopers Chronicle, Conteininge the Whole Discourse of the Histories as well of This Realme, as All Other Countreis, […], new edition, London: […] [in the house late Thomas Berthelettes], →OCLC:
      For by readyng of hiſtories fyrſte we know how longe time mightie empyres, great kyngedomes, famous common weales and citees haue floriſhed: how many yeres noble prynces, valiant capitaynes, and wyſe gouernours haue reigned: in what age they were, which was before other, and how farre diſtante in tyme one from an other.
    • 1560, [William Whittingham et al., transl.], The Bible and Holy Scriptures Conteyned in the Olde and Newe Testament. […] (the Geneva Bible), Geneva: […] Rouland Hall, →OCLC, I. Chronicles XII:8, column 2:
      And of the Gadites there ſeparated them ſelues ſome vnto Dauid into the holde of the wildernes, valiant men of warre, and mẽ of armes, & apt for battel, which colde handle ſpeare and ſhield, and their faces were like the faces of lyons, and were like the roes in the mountaines in ſwiftenes, […]
    • c. 1605–1608, William Shakespeare, “The Life of Tymon of Athens”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene v], page 88, column 1:
      Hee's truly Valiant, that can wiſely ſuffer
      The worſt that man can breath,
      And make his Wrongs, his Out-ſides,
      To weare them like his Rayment, careleſſely,
      And ne're preferre his iniuries to his heart,
      To bring it into danger.
    • 1678, John Bunyan, The Pilgrim’s Progress from This World, to That which is to Come: […], London: […] Nath[aniel] Ponder […], →OCLC; reprinted in The Pilgrim’s Progress (The Noel Douglas Replicas), London: Noel Douglas, […], 1928, →OCLC, page 61:
      Then they read to him ſome of the worthy Acts that ſome of his Servants had done. As how they had ſubdued Kingdoms, wrought Righteouſneſs, obtained Promiſes, ſtopped the mouths of Lions, quenched the violence of Fire, eſcaped the edge of the Sword; out of weakneſs were made ſtrong, waxed valiant in fight, and turned to flight the Armies of the Aliens. [Heb[rews] 11. 33, 34.]
    • 1692, Roger L’Estrange, “[The Fables of Barlandus, &c.] Fab[le] CCVII. A Wolfe and a Kid.”, in Fables, of Æsop and Other Eminent Mythologists: […], London: […] R[ichard] Sare, […], →OCLC, page 178:
      The Advantages of Time and Place are enough to make a Poultron Valiant. There's Nothing ſo Couragious as a Coward if you put him out of Danger.
    • 1718, [Maurice Shelton or John Randall], “Of the First Roman Nobility”, in An Historical and Critical Essay on the True Rise of Nobility, Political and Civil; […], London: […] C[harles] Rivington […], →OCLC, page 51:
      But admit that good Men are begotten of good Parents, and valiant Men of valiant Fathers; and if this be to Mankind proper, why are not good and valiant Children begotten of good and valiant common Perſons also? for they are Men as well as the other. But nothing is more deceitful than this Rule; for through the Corruption of Man's Nature we ſee it often happens, a prodigal Son to be born of a frugal Father, a Fool of a wiſe Man, and a Coward of a courageous Man.
  2. Characterized by or done with bravery or valour.

Alternative forms

Derived terms

Translations

Noun

valiant (plural valiants)

  1. (obsolete) A person who acts with valour, showing hero-like characteristics in the midst of danger.
    • 1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Iulius Cæsar”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii], page 117, column 1:
      Cowards dye many times before their deaths,
      The valiant neuer taſte of death but once: [...]
    • 1639, “Ch. M.” [pseudonym; Matthew Kellison], “The Tenth Flovver of the Myrrhine Posie: Christ Crvcified: Or His Sufferances on the Crosse. […]”, in A Myrrhine Posie of the Bitter Dolovrs of Christ: His Passion, and of the Seaven VVords He Spake on the Crosse, Doway [i.e., Douai, France]: […] L. Kellam, →OCLC, page 123:
      O yee Angells, yee Champions and valiants of the court of heauen, and ſtout ſoldiers of Chriſt your King, who euerie one ſingle is able to encounter and to defeat the greateſt armie that euer was ſeene on earth, where are you?
    • 1682, [Nahum Tate; John Dryden], The Second Part of Absalom and Achitophel. A Poem. […], 2nd edition, London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, page 32:
      No Sailer with the News ſwell Egypt’s Pride.
      By what inglorious Fate our Valiant dy’d!
    • 1772, Plautus, “The Churl”, in [Richard Warner], transl., Comedies of Plautus, Translated into Familiar Blank Verse, […], volume IV, London: […] T. Becket and P. A. de Hondt, […], →OCLC, act II, scene ii, page 228, lines 19–22:
      The valiant profit more
      Their country, than the fineſt clevereſt ſpeakers.
      Valour once known, will ſoon find eloquence
      To trumpet forth her praiſe— [...]

References
  1. “vailaunt, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
  2. “valiant, adj. (and n.)”, in OED Online Paid subscription required⁠, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, 1916; “valiant, adj.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.

Further reading

Anagrams
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