A hydraulic valve lifter for a variable displacement engine includes a body member, a check valve disposed within the body member for controlling a pressure chamber and a reservoir chamber, a sleeve member secured to one end of the body member, a plunger member slidably disposed in an axial bore of the sleeve member, and a solenoid valve having a valve rod for actuating the check valve. The direction of movement of the check valve is disposed at right angles to the axial direction of the body member. The direction of movement of the valve rod is the same as the direction of the movement of the check valve.