antihero

[ an-tee-heer-oh, an-tahy- ]

/ ˈæn tiˌhɪər oʊ, ˈæn taɪ- /

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noun, plural an·ti·he·roes.

a protagonist who lacks the attributes that make a heroic figure, as nobility of mind and spirit, a life or attitude marked by action or purpose, and the like.

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THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

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In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

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Origin of antihero

First recorded in 1705–15; anti- + hero

OTHER WORDS FROM antihero

an·ti·her·o·ism

[an-tee-her-oh-iz-uhm, an-tahy-], /ˌæn tiˈhɛr oʊˌɪz əm, ˌæn taɪ-/, noun

Words nearby antihero

Antiguan, antihalation, antihelium, antihelix, antihemophilic factor, antihero, antiheroic, antiheroine, antihistamine, antihistamines, antihistaminic

How to use antihero in a sentence

One of Succession’s smartest moves is the way it flips a common characteristic of the antihero drama — the main character is always six steps ahead — to reveal how “mastermind” status can mask toxic and abusive tendencies.
Succession turns a box of doughnuts into a stealthy statement about abuse|Emily VanDerWerff|October 25, 2021|Vox
The core of Philipps’s book is Special Operations Chief Eddie Gallagher, a senior enlisted SEAL and antihero who is portrayed as possessing almost superhuman powers.
Are the Navy SEALs actually awful at their jobs?|Greg Jaffe|August 24, 2021|Washington Post
Comedy has seen its share of influential male antiheroes as well, from “social assassin” Larry David on Curb Your Enthusiasm to New Girl’s prickly, problem-drinker love interest Nick Miller.
Ted Lasso and TV's Strange Quest to Build the Perfect Man|Judy Berman|July 19, 2021|Time
In the late ’90s, The Sopranos ushered in the age of the antihero.
Ted Lasso and TV's Strange Quest to Build the Perfect Man|Judy Berman|July 19, 2021|Time

The era of the female villain-turned-protagonist—or at least antihero—is in full swing, with Margot Robbie and Sarah Paulson recently taking on the roles of Harley Quinn and Nurse Ratched, respectively.
The Most Anticipated Movies of Summer 2021|Peter Allen Clark|May 12, 2021|Time
What could have been yet another instance of cheap cable carnality—the irresistible male antihero!
‘Halt and Catch Fire’ and AMC’s Push to Reset Dramas|Andrew Romano|May 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Everyone has a theory on how Mad Men will end, and one of the most popular is that our suave, slick antihero will die.
All the Signs That Don Draper Will Die on ‘Mad Men’|Kevin Fallon|April 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I also want to say that there's a degree to which we never really thought of this as an antihero show.
‘The Americans’ Showrunners Dissect the Secrets of Season 2|Andrew Romano|February 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
So when he graduated from antihero to pop stalwart in the mid-aughts, the rap world largely lost interest.
‘The Marshall Mathers LP 2’ Review: Eminem’s a Great Rapper With Nothing to Say|Rawiya Kameir|November 5, 2013|DAILY BEAST
At Last is the fifth novel about Patrick Melrose, St Aubyn's unhappy and self-absorbed antihero.
The Best of Brit Lit|Peter Stothard|May 15, 2011|DAILY BEAST

British Dictionary definitions for antihero

antihero

/ (ˈæntɪˌhɪərəʊ) /

noun plural -roes

a central character in a novel, play, etc, who lacks the traditional heroic virtues

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

antihero

Origin of antihero

OTHER WORDS FROM antihero

Words nearby antihero

Words related to antihero

How to use antihero in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for antihero