superhero
Americannoun
-
superheroes
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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.
Vocabulary lists containing superhero
Hands
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Comic Book Day
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A Boy Called Bat
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
A subversive, funny new show: HBO’s new Sunday night series Lanterns is the spiritual successor to Watchmen: a superhero show for people who don’t think they like superhero shows.
From Slate ● Aug. 17, 2026
The superhero film fronted by Tom Holland and real-life wife Zendaya has brought in more than $2 billion globally since its July 31 release, according to industry watcher Exhibitor Relations.
From Barron's ● Aug. 16, 2026
The cast of the upcoming superhero film took the stage together for the first time Friday night during the Disney Entertainment Showcase at D23.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2026
By keeping the action and themes largely Earthbound and removing the interstellar glamour associated with flying supes and suits, “Lanterns” reignites our consideration of a superhero long written off in the live-action realm.
From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026
“The power of truth and justice! That’s what came over you! You were a superhero back there! I saw with my own two... Are you okay?”
From "Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody" by Patrick Ness
With leaders like this, is it any wonder that the public still has an insatiable appetite for superheroes?
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026
As with past movie trends from superheroes to Westerns, the risk is that Hollywood will overdo it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
At the end of term, Dáibhin's school dedicated a day to him, with his classmates dressing up as superheroes in his honour.
From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026
"I always wanted to do comedy. I mean, I've always done action my whole life," where playing superheroes felt "inevitable."
From Barron's ● Jun. 1, 2026
We watch a movie about superheroes, which is normally exactly the kind of movie that Jamie and I would gush over for hours together.
From "Starfish" by Akemi Dawn Bowman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
