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🏞️ A deep valley 🍽️ To overeat 🦴 A throat passage
gorge

gorge

32 5.3
A deep narrow valley with steep rocky sides, often with a river
  • noun
  • /ɡɔrdʒ/
translation icon : garganta
  • As we stood at the edge of the gorge, we could hear the water rushing far below.
  • a narrow gorge
  • a deep gorge
  • a mile-long gorge

So your Vista of valley and gorge is quite different to how it was a decade ago now.

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Examples

  • The hikers carefully made their way down the steep sides of the gorge to get a closer view of the river below.

  • A couple years ago, this Columbia Gorge looked like this.

  • There's a gorge just across the way.

    Deep Water (2022)

  • The complex stands on a precipitous rock overlooking a deep gorge close to the sea.

    Academic text (2003)

  • The walls of the gorge rise hundreds of feet here, mantled in a dark, clinging green.

    Academic text (2006)

  • The final climb brought us through a narrow gorge bounded by sheer cliffs of beige rock.

    Academic text (1991)

  • The stunning views of the cliffs on either side of the gorge made the long trek worthwhile.

Synonyms

valley
vsgorge
∞ 1.0

A low area of land between hills or mountains often with a river running through it

is the deeper narrower type with very steep rocky sides
canyon
vsgorge
117 2.5

A deep, narrow valley with very steep sides often made by a river

is seen more generally often between mountains with a flowing river
ravine
vsgorge
46 5.8

A deep narrow valley with steep sides made by a river

is more general and not only limited to water formed hollows
gulch
vsgorge
  • US
9 9.5

A narrow valley with steep sides and a small stream

is broader and applies to similar hollows without stressing small streams
defile
vsgorge
  • Specialized
1 9.6

A narrow passage between mountains that is often steep

is the broader landscape feature itself rather than the tight passageway
flume
vsgorge
1 9.5

A deep narrow valley with steep sides and a stream running through it

is the general term for deep narrow hollows not only water channels
canon
vsgorge
  • Archaic
7.9

A deep narrow valley with very steep sides

is the standard form used more widely for the same landform
chine
vsgorge
  • UK
9.6

A steep narrow valley or gully that leads down to the sea

is an inland mountain hollow rather than a coastal cliff gully

Compounds

New River Gorge Bridge
6.4

A very high steel arch bridge that crosses the New River at Fayetteville, West Virginia

Olduvai Gorge
8.7

A deep valley in northeastern Tanzania where scientists found early human bones and tools

How Deep

chasm
33 6.9
canyon
117 2.5
gorge
32 5.3
to ravine
9.9
gully
27 4.7

Surface Forms

gorge singular
gorges plural

Etymology

Gorge for a deep, narrow valley comes from an old word for 'throat' and from Latin gula 'throat'. So a gorge is like the land's narrow 'throat' cutting between mountains, which is why a river often runs through it.