heroine

American  

[her-oh-in] / ˈhɛr oʊ ɪn /

noun

heroines plural

1. a woman noted for courageous acts or nobility of character.

   Esther and other biblical heroines.

2. a woman who, in the opinion of others, has special achievements, abilities, or personal qualities and is regarded as a role model or ideal.

   Name two women who have been heroines in your life.

3. the principal female character in a story, play, film, etc.

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heroine British  

/ ˈhɛrəʊɪn /

noun

1. a woman possessing heroic qualities

2. a woman idealized for possessing superior qualities

3. the main female character in a novel, play, film, etc

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Gender

See hero.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• superheroine
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• heroines
  plural

Etymology

Origin of heroine

1650–60; < Latin hērōīnē < Greek hērōī́nē, feminine of hḗrōs hero; see -ine ²

Explanation

A heroine is a real-life or fictional woman who has lots of courage and fights on the side of good, maybe by rescuing a kitten from a tree, slaying an evil dragon, or helping you with your science fair project. In books and movies, the heroine is the woman who is the main character, and in comic books and fantasy novels, heroines often have superpowers that help them accomplish incredible feats. There are heroines in regular life too, like women’s rights activists who fight against sexism, or a brave mother who rescues her child from a burning building. Heroine sounds the same as the addictive drug heroin, but a heroine will save your life, while heroin will probably end it.

Example Sentences

Rispoli also won two other races on Saturday’s seven-stakes card, one of them the Grade 2 $200,000 Royal Heroine for older fillies and mares going a mile on the turf.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2022

You can watch Betty Campbell: Statue for a Heroine on BBC One Wales at 19:30 BST on Wednesday, or on BBC iPlayer afterwards.

From BBC • Sep. 29, 2021

In the 16th-century play “The Heroine Mulan Goes to War in Her Father’s Place,” she has bound feet.

From New York Times • Sep. 3, 2020

Now the site has 3.7 million users, and a spinoff site for women called Heroine.

From Washington Times • Feb. 17, 2019

Heroine of Domestic Drama pursued by the Unprincipled Villian is about to cast herself headlong from a tremendous precipice!

From Punch - Volume 25 (Jul-Dec 1853) by Various

Related Words

• beau ideal
• eidolon
• epitome
• example
• exemplar
• good example
• icon
• ideal
• idol
• model
• paragon
• person to look up to
• role model
• shining example