Tarzan

American  

[tahr-zuhn, -zan] / ˈtɑr zən, -zæn /

noun

1. the hero of a series of jungle stories by Edgar Rice Burroughs.

2. a person of superior or superhuman physical strength, agility, and prowess.

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Tarzan British  

/ ˈtɑːzən /

noun

1. informal (sometimes not capital) a man with great physical strength, agility, and virility

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Tarzan ¹ Cultural  

1. A character created by Edgar Rice Burroughs in the early twentieth century. Tarzan, born to aristocratic parents but orphaned in Africa, is raised by apes, who teach him to speak their language.

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Tarzan ² Cultural  

1. A character in popular novels by the twentieth-century American author Edgar Rice Burroughs. (See under “Mythology and Folklore.”)

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By extension, a “Tarzan” is a macho male, figuratively thumping his chest to get attention.

The adventures of Tarzan have been chronicled in countless books, comic strips, animated cartoons, radio and television series, and motion pictures.

Etymology

Origin of Tarzan

C20: after the hero of a series of stories by Edgar Rice _Burroughs

Example Sentences

Told that Tarzan is a fictional character, Sibby replies, “I wouldn’t be so sure. They did make a movie about his life.”

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 24, 2026

"He jumped in a bush, then jumped on a rock, then somehow came down a tree. I call him Tarzan now," she said.

From BBC • Nov. 14, 2025

Skarsgård has incredible range as an actor, as he has also played "Tarzan" and a war hero in "Generation Kill," but his portrayal of villains tends to stand out more.

From Salon • Jun. 4, 2025

The wallpaper tendrils down like a wide Tarzan vine to the built-in benches of the cozy corner nook, where fabric takes over on the seats and pillow.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 20, 2023

Tarzan let out mighty yelps and swung from limb to limb on vines that looked suspiciously like ropes decorated with sweet-potato vines.

From "When I Was Puerto Rican" by Esmeralda Santiago