noun Uncommon

valet

VA-lay

Valet (noun) means a personal attendant who looks after someone's clothes and general appearance. Example: “The actor travelled with a valet who kept his suits pressed and ready.”

noun

A personal attendant who looks after someone's clothes and general appearance.

"The actor travelled with a valet who kept his suits pressed and ready."

"Hotel guests can send shirts to be pressed via the valet service."

Someone employed to park and fetch cars for customers.

"We handed the keys to the valet outside the restaurant."

verb

To clean and service a car thoroughly, inside and out.

"He had his car valeted before selling it."

How to use valet

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishSomeone (or a service) that looks after your clothes, appearance, or car for you.

Common mistake

In the US, "valet parking" refers to the service; in the UK, "to valet" a car usually means a full interior/exterior clean, not just parking it.

Common pairings

valet parking valet service have the car valeted

Word forms

valeted past tense, valets plural, valets singular

Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.

Test yourself on “valet” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

The actor travelled with a _____ who kept his suits pressed and ready.

Etymology

From Old French vaslet, related to "vassal" — originally meaning a young manservant.

Origin: Old French

Synonyms

View more →

man gentleman valet de chambre gentleman's gentleman

Related words

world man person guy woman boy dog sir

Rhymes for valet

chalet

See all rhymes for valet →

Frequently asked questions

What does “valet” mean?

The word “valet” means a personal attendant who looks after someone's clothes and general appearance. In plain terms, someone (or a service) that looks after your clothes, appearance, or car for you.

How do you pronounce “valet”?

“Valet” is pronounced VA-lay (/ˈvæleɪ/ in IPA).

How do you use “valet” in a sentence?

Here is “valet” used in a sentence: “The actor travelled with a valet who kept his suits pressed and ready.”

What part of speech is “valet”?

Depending on how it is used, “valet” can be a noun and a verb.

Where does the word “valet” come from?

The word “valet” comes from Old French. From Old French vaslet, related to "vassal" — originally meaning a young manservant.

Is “valet” a common word?

“Valet” is an uncommon word in modern English.

How many meanings does “valet” have?

“Valet” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a personal attendant who looks after someone's clothes and general appearance.

Featured in

Vocabulary lists that include valet:

Words that start with V

People also searched

world man person guy woman boy dog sir