heroic
Americanadjective
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Also heroical of, relating to, or characteristic of a hero or heroine.
- Antonyms:
- cowardly
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suitable to the character of a hero in size or concept; daring; noble.
a heroic ambition.
- Antonyms:
- cowardly
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having or displaying the character or attributes of a hero; extraordinarily bold, altruistic, determined, etc..
a heroic explorer.
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having or involving recourse to boldness, daring, or extreme measures.
Heroic measures were taken to save his life.
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dealing with or describing the deeds, attributes, etc., of heroes, as in literature.
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of, relating to, or characteristic of the heroes of antiquity.
heroic mythology.
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used in heroic poetry.
- Synonyms:
- epic
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resembling heroic poetry in language or style; grandiloquent.
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(of style or language) lofty; extravagant; grand.
-
larger than life-size.
a statue of heroic proportions.
noun
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Usually heroics heroic verse.
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heroics,
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flamboyant or extravagant language, sentiment, or behavior, intended to seem heroic.
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heroic action or behavior.
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adjective
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of, like, or befitting a hero
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courageous but desperate
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relating to or treating of heroes and their deeds
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of, relating to, or resembling the heroes of classical mythology
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(of language, manner, etc) extravagant
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prosody of, relating to, or resembling heroic verse
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(of the arts, esp sculpture) larger than life-size; smaller than colossal
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RC Church
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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
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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
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.
Only a combination of wastefulness from the visitors and the heroics of goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario prevented it from being a hammering.
From BBC
Meanwhile, TV shows with heroic workers like “The Pitt” and “Severance” have enjoyed huge cultural traction.
The Kurds, by contrast, are loyal, steadfast and heroic allies.
These heroic shows of manhood long fascinated Mojica, who frequented jaripeos with family — and quietly forged a community with other locals who diverged from Mexican gender norms.
From Los Angeles Times
Acting as the greengrocer in his analogy, Mr. Carney proclaimed that it is time for world leaders to follow his heroic example, take the proverbial signs out of their windows and speak truth to power.
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.
