antihero

American  

[an-tee-heer-oh, an-tahy-] / ˈæn tiˌhɪər oʊ, ˈæn taɪ- /

noun

plural

antiheroes

1. 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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antihero British  

/ ˈæntɪˌhɪərəʊ /

noun

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

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Other Word Forms

• antiheroism noun

Etymology

Origin of antihero

First recorded in 1705–15; anti- + hero

Example Sentences

Just how my favorite new antihero will deal with her disdain for the Others is yet to be seen.

From Los Angeles Times

Anthony Geary, who played the charming antihero Luke Spencer on ABC’s “General Hospital,” will make his last appearance on the soap opera on Monday.

From Los Angeles Times

Now private-equity executives fill the roles of villains or antiheroes in shows like Billions and Succession, the latter providing this bit: “You know how, like, everyone hates you?”

From Barron's

Gilligan also created “Pluribus” as a counterweight to the antihero era he helped define by contributing two unforgettable linchpins, Walter White and Saul Goodman.

From Salon

But now, a couple of months since leaving LIV, the 70-year-old Norman sees himself as golf’s antihero.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• bad guy
• baddie
• baddy
• criminal
• devil
• scoundrel
• sinner