superhero

American  

[soo-per-heer-oh] / ˈsu pərˌhɪər oʊ /

noun

plural

superheroes

1. a morally righteous hero in a fictional work who possesses extraordinary abilities or supernatural powers and uses them to fight evil, as in comic books and movies.

   Many classic superheroes wear masks to maintain their secret identities.

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superhero British  

/ ˈsuːpəˌhɪərəʊ /

noun

1. any of various comic-strip characters with superhuman abilities or magical powers, wearing a distinctive costume, and fighting against evil

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Etymology

Origin of superhero

First recorded in 1895–1900; from French super-héros

Example Sentences

Viewers don’t just want pretty celebrities, powerful superheroes and recycled ideas; they want truly memorable shared experiences.

From Salon

Cignetti demurred when asked who would play him in this movie, which someone will surely make if Hollywood can figure out how to stop making films about moody superheroes and talking squirrels.

From The Wall Street Journal

So many expect the film to explore how he deals with this lonely phase of being a superhero.

From BBC

That was a test; those come from Marvel superhero movies.

From Barron's

The Warner Bros. superhero movie makes a solid start at the box office, offering hope for the studio’s overhaul of its DC brand.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• hero