Death Valley

American  

noun

1. an arid basin in eastern California and southern Nevada: lowest land in North America. About 1,500 square miles (3,900 square kilometers); 280 feet (85 meters) below sea level.

---

Death Valley British  

noun

1. a desert valley in E California and W Nevada: the lowest, hottest, and driest area of the US. Lowest point: 86 m (282 ft) below sea level. Area: about 3885 sq km (1500 sq miles)

---

Death Valley Cultural  

1. Desert valley in southeastern California and southwestern Nevada.

---

Discover More

The lowest point in North America — 282 feet below sea level.

Etymology

Origin of Death Valley

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

Death Valley on Thursday scorched in 40C degrees while the often cool and foggy San Francisco tied its historic March record at 29C degrees, and skiers in Colorado were hitting the slopes shirtless.

From Barron's • Mar. 20, 2026

Experiencing its best bloom year since 2016, Death Valley is best visited sooner rather than later particularly in lower elevations.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 17, 2026

Previous superblooms in Death Valley occurred in 1998, 2005 and 2016.

From BBC • Mar. 10, 2026

You can see out to Badwater Basin in Death Valley.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 23, 2025

The heat of the kitchen staggered her, but then people from Death Valley would have keeled over in Grandma’s kitchen.

From "A Long Way from Chicago" by Richard Peck