showing courage or determination in facing challenges
example
The valiant effort of the firefighters saved countless lives during the blaze.
synonyms
bravecourageousvalorous
word origin — Middle English, from Old French 'valiant', from Latin 'valens', present participle of 'valere' meaning 'to be strong, be worth'.
valiant, taut, treacherous, untenable, untoward: meanings and examples
Learn these 5 words from GRE Vocabulary set 199. Each entry includes a definition, example sentence, pronunciation, and synonyms. Use the interactive cards above to practice them.
valiant · adjective/ˈvæljənt/
showing courage or determination in facing challenges
The valiant effort of the firefighters saved countless lives during the blaze.
Synonyms: brave, courageous, valorous
Origin: Middle English, from Old French 'valiant', from Latin 'valens', present participle of 'valere' meaning 'to be strong, be worth'.
taut · adjective/tɔt/
stretched or pulled tight not slack
The taut rope was ready for the tug-of-war competition, demonstrating how tightly it was stretched between the two teams.
Synonyms: tight, stretched, tense
Origin: Middle English 'taut', from Old English ' tæht', meaning 'tight or firm'.
treacherous · adjective/ˈtrɛtʃ.ər.əs/
dangerous because of unpredictability or deceitfulness
The mountain trail was known for its treacherous conditions, which often caught hikers off guard during bad weather.
Synonyms: dangerous, deceitful, perilous
Origin: Middle English trecherous, from Old French trechereus, from trecher, meaning to betray, from Latin tradere
untenable · adjective/ʌnˈtɛnəbl/
not able to be maintained or defended against attack or objection
The team presented an untenable argument that failed to address any of the objections raised by the opposing side.
Synonyms: indefensible, unsustainable
Origin: From French 'untenable', from 'un-' meaning 'not' + 'tenere' meaning 'to hold' in Latin.
untoward · adjective/ʌnˈtɔrd/
unexpected and inappropriate or inconvenient
The meeting was delayed due to some untoward circumstances that no one had anticipated.
Synonyms: unforeseen, inappropriate, inconvenient
Origin: Late Middle English, from untoward, meaning 'difficult', 'unruly', from the prefix 'un-' + 'toward', from Old English 'toward' meaning 'favorable'.