Valhalla
noun
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In Norse mythology, the souls of warriors who died nobly in battle were brought to a magnificent palace, where they spent their days fighting for diversion, immune from lasting injury, and their evenings lustily feasting on freshly killed boar and quaffing the free-flowing mead. In Old Norse, the word for this warrior heaven is Valhǫll (literally, "hall of the slain"); in German, it is Walhalla. English speakers picked up the name as Valhalla in the 18th century. Nowadays, we can use the word figuratively, and induction or admission into a modern-day Valhalla doesn't require passing from this life. It can be a place of honor (a hall of fame, for example) or a place of bliss (as in "an ice cream lover's Valhalla").
Examples of Valhalla in a Sentence
Erik Kain, Forbes, 30 Mar. 2024
Elijah Craig releases special small batch in honor of 2024 PGA Championship
Elijah Craig welcomes the 2024 PGA Championship back to Louisville's Valhalla Golf Club on May 16-19 after a decade away from the Bluegrass State.
—The Courier-Journal, 29 Mar. 2024
Our real-world gaming testing comes from the in-game benchmarks of F1 2021, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, and Rainbow Six Siege.
—PCMAG, 27 Mar. 2024
Through it all, year by year, Indian Wells became a tennis Valhalla.
—Bill Dwyre, Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2024
The group has launched a plug-in version of its $800,000 Valhalla supercar.
—Byryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 29 Feb. 2024
The brand’s first hybrid supercar, the Valhalla, is expected to go into production later this year.
—Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 29 Feb. 2024
Those to watch out for in 2024 are Panama, Valhalla, Galahad and Leyden.
—Alexander Belokrylov, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024
Rancho Buena Vista blanked Fallbrook 3-0, but had to go to OT to beat Valhalla 3-2.
—John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Valhalla.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near Valhalla
Cite this Entry
“Valhalla.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Valhalla. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Valhalla
noun
derived from an early Norse word Valhǫll, literally "hall of the slain," from valr "those slain (in battle)" and hǫll "hall"
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