Dictionary.com
definitions

heroic

[hi-roh-ik]
||
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR heroic ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

noun

Usually heroics. heroic verse.
heroics,
  1. flamboyant or extravagant language, sentiment, or behavior, intended to seem heroic.
  2. heroic action or behavior.

RELATED CONTENT

Go for the Gold: The Strange History of Olympic MedalsAt the first Olympic Games back in 776 BCE, competitors did not receive medals. Instead the top athletes were crowned with wreaths made of olive leaves. This tradition continued until Roman emperor Theodosius I (or perhaps his son) abolished the Olympics around the year 400 CE. The revival of the Olympics dates from the late 19th century, with the first modern Games taking place in …
READ MORE
Ali bomayeRead more in this article about some frequently asked questions and fun facts related to our definitions.
READ MORE

RELATED WORDS

gallant, noble, daring, fearless, gutsy, valiant, grand, epic, courageous, bold, elevated, classic, dauntless, doughty, exaggerated, grandiose, gritty, high-flown, inflated, intrepid

Nearby words

  1. herod the great,
  2. herodian,
  3. herodians,
  4. herodias,
  5. herodotus,
  6. heroic age,
  7. heroic couplet,
  8. heroic drama,
  9. heroic poem,
  10. heroic quatrain

Origin of heroic

1540–50; < Latin hērōicus < Greek hērōïkós of, pertaining to a hero; compare late Middle English heroical, heroicus; see hero, -ic
ANTONYMS FOR heroic
1, 2. cowardly.
SEE MORE ANTONYMS FOR heroic ON THESAURUS.COM
Related forms
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for heroic

British Dictionary definitions for heroic

heroic

heroical

adjective

of, like, or befitting a hero
courageous but desperate
relating to or treating of heroes and their deeds
of, relating to, or resembling the heroes of classical mythology
(of language, manner, etc) extravagant
prosody of, relating to, or resembling heroic verse
(of the arts, esp sculpture) larger than life-size; smaller than colossal
RC Church
  1. held to such a degree as to enable a person to perform virtuous actions with exceptional promptness, ease and pleasure, and with self-abnegation and self-controlheroic virtue
  2. performed or undergone by such a personthe heroic witness of martyrdom
See also heroics
Derived Formsheroically, adverbheroicalness or heroicness, noun
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
Word Origin and History for heroic

heroic

adj.

1540s, shortened from heroical (early 15c.), also heroycus "noble, magnanimous," from Latin heroicus "of a hero, heroic, mythical," from Greek heroikos "pertaining to heroes," from heros (see hero (n.1)). Earlier was heroical (early 15c.). The Heroic Age in Greece was the time before the return of the armies from the fall of Troy. Related: Heroically. Heroic verse (1610s), decasyllabic iambic, is from Italian.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Medicine definitions for heroic

heroic

[hĭ-rō′ĭk]

adj.

Relating to a risky medical procedure that may endanger the patient but also has a possibility of being successful, whereas lesser action would result in failure.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.