heroic
Americanadjective
-
Also heroical of, relating to, or characteristic of a hero or heroine.
- Antonyms:
- cowardly
-
suitable to the character of a hero in size or concept; daring; noble.
a heroic ambition.
- Antonyms:
- cowardly
-
having or displaying the character or attributes of a hero; extraordinarily bold, altruistic, determined, etc..
a heroic explorer.
-
having or involving recourse to boldness, daring, or extreme measures.
Heroic measures were taken to save his life.
-
dealing with or describing the deeds, attributes, etc., of heroes, as in literature.
-
of, relating to, or characteristic of the heroes of antiquity.
heroic mythology.
-
used in heroic poetry.
- Synonyms:
- epic
-
resembling heroic poetry in language or style; grandiloquent.
-
(of style or language) lofty; extravagant; grand.
-
larger than life-size.
a statue of heroic proportions.
noun
-
Usually heroics heroic verse.
-
heroics,
-
flamboyant or extravagant language, sentiment, or behavior, intended to seem heroic.
-
heroic action or behavior.
-
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
-
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
-
performed or undergone by such a person
the heroic witness of martyrdom
-
Other Word Forms
-
heroicalnessnoun
-
heroicitynoun
-
heroicnessnoun
-
nonheroicalnessnoun
-
nonheroicnessnoun
-
unheroicalnessnoun
-
unheroicnessnoun
-
nonheroicadjective
-
nonheroicaladjective
-
pseudoheroicadjective
-
pseudoheroicaladjective
-
quasi-heroicadjective
-
superheroicadjective
-
unheroicadjective
-
unheroicaladjective
-
heroicallyadverb
-
nonheroicallyadverb
-
pseudoheroicallyadverb
-
quasi-heroicallyadverb
-
superheroicallyadverb
-
unheroicallyadverb
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.
Vocabulary lists containing heroic
The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 3
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Positive Words to Describe a Person
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The New SAT: Words to Capture Tone
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
In Britain, that generation was raised on heroic tales of empire-building, in which war was one glorious cavalry charge, leading to swift victory and everyone home by Christmas.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
The later memoir also contains admissions that make Byfield appear less conventionally heroic.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 7, 2026
Judge makes their complete and utter failure to pull off a microscopic scam feel heroic.
From Salon ● Sep. 6, 2026
And he took a close look at Arthur Miller’s version of “Enemy,” but he rejected the depiction of Stockmann’s character as the heroic whistleblower who stands alone with the truth.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
Once it was simple to praise these men and their heroic achievements in painting a picture of American pride and patriotism.
From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis
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.
