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epic
[ ep-ik ]
/ ˈɛp ɪk /
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adjective Also ep·i·cal [ep-i-kuhl] /ˈɛp ɪ kəl/ .
adverb
noun
QUIZ
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…
OTHER WORDS FROM epic
WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH epic
epic , epochWords nearby epic
epibiosis, epibiotic, epiblast, epiblem, epiboly, epic, epically, epicalyx, epicanthic fold, epicanthus, epicardium
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use epic in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for epic
epic
/ (ˈɛpɪk) /
noun
a long narrative poem recounting in elevated style the deeds of a legendary hero, esp one originating in oral folk tradition
the genre of epic poetry
any work of literature, film, etc, having heroic deeds for its subject matter or having other qualities associated with the epica Hollywood epic
an episode in the lives of men in which heroic deeds are performed or attemptedthe epic of Scott's expedition to the South Pole
adjective
denoting, relating to, or characteristic of an epic or epics
of heroic or impressive proportionsan epic voyage
Word Origin for epic
C16: from Latin epicus, from Greek epikos, from epos speech, word, song
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
Cultural definitions for epic
epic
A long narrative poem written in elevated style, in which heroes of great historical or legendary importance perform valorous deeds. The setting is vast in scope, covering great nations, the world, or the universe, and the action is important to the history of a nation or people. The Iliad, the Odyssey, and the Aeneid are some great epics from world literature, and two great epics in English are Beowulf and Paradise Lost.
notes for epic
Figuratively, any task of great magnitude may be called “epic,” as in an “epic feat” or an “epic undertaking.”
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.