heroic

American  

[hi-roh-ik] / hɪˈroʊ ɪk /

adjective

1. Also heroical of, relating to, or characteristic of a hero or heroine.

   Synonyms:

   courageous, brave, gallant, valorous, valiant, dauntless

   Antonyms:

   cowardly

2. suitable to the character of a hero in size or concept; daring; noble.

   a heroic ambition.

   Synonyms:

   courageous, brave, gallant, valorous, valiant, dauntless

   Antonyms:

   cowardly

3. having or displaying the character or attributes of a hero; extraordinarily bold, altruistic, determined, etc..

   a heroic explorer.

4. having or involving recourse to boldness, daring, or extreme measures.

   Heroic measures were taken to save his life.

5. dealing with or describing the deeds, attributes, etc., of heroes, as in literature.

6. of, relating to, or characteristic of the heroes of antiquity.

   heroic mythology.

7. used in heroic poetry.

   Synonyms:

   epic

8. resembling heroic poetry in language or style; grandiloquent.

9. (of style or language) lofty; extravagant; grand.

10. larger than life-size.

    a statue of heroic proportions.

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noun

1. Usually heroics heroic verse.

2. heroics,

   1. flamboyant or extravagant language, sentiment, or behavior, intended to seem heroic.

   2. heroic action or behavior.

heroic British  

/ hɪˈrəʊɪk /

adjective

1. of, like, or befitting a hero

2. courageous but desperate

3. relating to or treating of heroes and their deeds

4. of, relating to, or resembling the heroes of classical mythology

5. (of language, manner, etc) extravagant

6. prosody of, relating to, or resembling heroic verse

7. (of the arts, esp sculpture) larger than life-size; smaller than colossal

8. 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-control

      heroic virtue

   2. performed or undergone by such a person

      the heroic witness of martyrdom

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Other Word Forms

• heroically adverb
• heroicalness noun
• heroicity noun
• heroicness noun
• nonheroic adjective
• nonheroical adjective
• nonheroically adverb
• nonheroicalness noun
• nonheroicness noun
• pseudoheroic adjective
• pseudoheroical adjective
• pseudoheroically adverb
• quasi-heroic adjective
• quasi-heroically adverb
• superheroic adjective
• superheroically adverb
• unheroic adjective
• unheroical adjective
• unheroically adverb
• unheroicalness noun
• unheroicness noun

Etymology

Origin of heroic

First recorded in 1540–50; from Latin hērōicus, from Greek hērōïkós “of, pertaining to a hero”; hero + -ic; compare late Middle English heroical, heroicus

Explanation

Heroic means having the qualities of a hero, such as bravery. Maybe on your daily walk, you see a house on fire, and you run into the flames repeatedly to save the family and their pets, including the fish! That’s heroic. Literature offers many examples of heroic characters, who by their strength or their wiles or both overcame almost impossible obstacles. In Greek mythology, Hercules was given seven seemingly impossible tasks that he completed with heroic daring, Achilles was a warrior whose accomplishments in battle were heroic, and Odysseus showed his heroic qualities as he conquered monsters and men in his journey home.

Example Sentences

Not only are they accomplished pilots, engineers and scientists, they are also spouses and parents balancing a heroic adventure against the risks they and their loved ones will face.

From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026

Taix was where I watched the heroic Zinedine Zidane headbutt the gutless Marco Materazzi in the saddest World Cup final ever.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

Matti Friedman documents their mission in “Out of the Sky,” an account of the personal motivations and tragic fates of these heroic figures of undying Jewish faith.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026

Even less heroic — or catastrophic — assumptions lead to alarmingly high numbers.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 5, 2026

Michaux’s voyages took him from Florida to Hudson’s Bay; the heroic Nuttall ventured as far as the shores of Lake Superior, going much of the way on foot for want of funds.

From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson

Related Words

• bold
• courageous
• daring
• epic
• fearless
• gallant
• grand
• gutsy
• noble
• valiant