epic
Americanadjective
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noting or pertaining to a long poetic composition, usually centered upon a hero, in which a series of great achievements or events is narrated in elevated style.
Homer's Iliad is an epic poem.
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resembling or suggesting such poetry.
an epic novel on the founding of the country.
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heroic; majestic; impressively great.
the epic events of the war.
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of unusually great size or extent.
a crime wave of epic proportions.
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Slang. very impressive; spectacular; awesome.
Their burgers and fries are epic!
adverb
noun
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epics
plural
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an epic poem.
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epic poetry.
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any composition resembling an epic.
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something worthy to form the subject of an epic.
The defense of the Alamo is an American epic.
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Also called Old Ionic. Epic. the Greek dialect represented in the Iliad and the Odyssey, apparently Aeolic modified by Ionic.
noun
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a long narrative poem recounting in elevated style the deeds of a legendary hero, esp one originating in oral folk tradition
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the genre of epic poetry
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any work of literature, film, etc, having heroic deeds for its subject matter or having other qualities associated with the epic
a Hollywood epic
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an episode in the lives of men in which heroic deeds are performed or attempted
the epic of Scott's expedition to the South Pole
adjective
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denoting, relating to, or characteristic of an epic or epics
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of heroic or impressive proportions
an epic voyage
Discover More
Figuratively, any task of great magnitude may be called “epic,” as in an “epic feat” or an “epic undertaking.”
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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epiclikeadjective
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nonepicadjective
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nonepicaladjective
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semiepicadjective
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semiepicaladjective
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superepicadjective
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unepicadjective
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epicallyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of epic
First recorded in 1580–90; from Latin epicus, from Greek epikós; see epos, -ic
Explanation
An epic is a long poem or other work of art celebrating heroic feats. After you sail around the world for seven years, fighting corruption and planting vegetable gardens, some poet will surely write the epic of your adventures. Epic comes from the Greek word for song, because Greek poets like Homer sang their poems. We tend to use epic for long, ambitious novels or movies, especially if they involve a long journey. Epic can be used as an adjective to describe something historically important, lasting and complex. Perhaps your great-grandfather was a soldier in the epic struggle of World War One. Your three day, sleepless card poker game could be described as epic.
Vocabulary lists containing epic
TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
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AP English Lit exam terms
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Poetry: Genres
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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:
Kick the ball out of the end zone for a touchback, and let Jacksonville try to run an epic last-second play from scrimmage.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
With its three interconnected stories that follow queer men through nearly a century of Spanish history, “La Bola Negra” has an epic feel and emotional payoff that could carry it far.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026
It was an epic remembrance, with feelings complicated by the fact that Mastodon was estranged from Hinds at the time of his death at 51 from a motorcycle crash in 2025.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026
Matt Renshaw scored an epic first Test century in more than nine years to put Australia in control of the first Test in their highly anticipated series against South Africa.
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026
The story was a part of the great Persian poet Ferdowsi’s epic poem Shahnameh, which roughly translates to The Book of Kings.
From "Here to Stay" by Sara Farizan
The production was announced in March this year as a "rambunctious comedy of deception and disguise inspired by the grand swashbuckling epics of stage and screen".
From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2026
He often writes with the candor of a memoirist, sharing personal moments that connect him to his subjects or to Homer’s epics.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
Although he established himself with futuristic films like “Alien” and “Blade Runner,” he showed a knack for emotional drama with 1991’s “Thelma & Louise” and for historical epics like 2000’s “Gladiator.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
Damon has explained the decline of mid-sized movies and outsized epics in other venues.
From Salon ● Jul. 12, 2026
King praised the students who had, as he put it, “fashioned...a creative protest that is destined to be one of the glowing epics of our time....”
From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson
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.
