superhero

American  

[soo-per-heer-oh] / ˈsu pərˌhɪər oʊ /

noun

superheroes plural

1. a morally righteous hero in a fictional work who possesses extraordinary abilities or supernatural powers and uses them to fight evil, as in comic books and movies.

   Many classic superheroes wear masks to maintain their secret identities.

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superhero British  

/ ˈsuːpəˌhɪərəʊ /

noun

1. any of various comic-strip characters with superhuman abilities or magical powers, wearing a distinctive costume, and fighting against evil

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• superheroes
  plural

Etymology

Origin of superhero

First recorded in 1895–1900; from French super-héros

Explanation

A fictional character with extraordinary powers who saves people from danger is a superhero. In real life, anyone who comes to the rescue can also be called a superhero. You know a superhero when you see one: in the movies or comics, they wear costumes and fight crime. Wonder Woman, Superman, Black Panther, and Iron Man are all familiar superheroes who use their superhuman abilities in amazing ways. Ordinary people who do amazing things — saving a child from drowning, running into a burning building for a pet cat, raising huge amounts of money for a good cause — are also superheroes.

Related Words

• hero