superhero
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of superhero
First recorded in 1895–1900; from French super-héros
Explanation
A fictional character with extraordinary powers who saves people from danger is a superhero. In real life, anyone who comes to the rescue can also be called a superhero. You know a superhero when you see one: in the movies or comics, they wear costumes and fight crime. Wonder Woman, Superman, Black Panther, and Iron Man are all familiar superheroes who use their superhuman abilities in amazing ways. Ordinary people who do amazing things — saving a child from drowning, running into a burning building for a pet cat, raising huge amounts of money for a good cause — are also superheroes.
Vocabulary lists containing superhero
Hands
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Comic Book Day
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A Boy Called Bat
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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.
‘Masters of the Universe’ opens to $29M amid superhero box office struggles, as ‘Scary Movie’ tops the weekend with a $55M domestic debut.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 18, 2026
He also touched on what it was like being the first Latino lead in a live-action superhero film in “Blue Beetle” — and the importance of continued Latino representation in Hollywood.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 17, 2026
The world's arguably most well-known everyday superhero is best recognised for his colourful blue and red suit.
From BBC • May 27, 2026
The creator and showrunner then warned that the events of his superhero satire’s fifth and final season would be, in his words, “pretty bad.”
From Salon • May 24, 2026
I drew the face of a superhero on the front, a guy I called Vomit Man.
From "The Million Dollar Shot" by Dan Gutman
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.
