heroic

1 of 2

adjective

he·​ro·​ic hi-ˈrō-ik 

 also  her-ˈō-,

 or  hē-ˈrō-

variants or less commonly heroical

hi-ˈrō-i-kəl 

1

: of or relating to courageous people or the mythological or legendary figures of antiquity : of, relating to, resembling, or suggesting heroes especially of antiquity

heroic legends

the heroic age

2

a

: exhibiting or marked by courage and daring

It was a heroic decision.

b

: supremely noble or self-sacrificing

a heroic gesture

received medals for their heroic actions

3

a

: of impressive size, power, extent, or effect

a heroic voice

b(1)

: of great intensity : extreme

heroic effort

(2)

: of a kind that is likely only to be undertaken to save a life

heroic surgery

4

: of, relating to, or constituting drama written during the Restoration in heroic couplets and concerned with a conflict between love and honor

heroically

hi-ˈrō-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

heroic

2 of 2

noun

1

: a verse or poem written during the Restoration using rhyming couplets in iambic pentameter and concerned with a conflict between love and honor : a heroic verse or poem

2

heroics hi-ˈrō-iks 

 also  her-ˈō-,

 or  hē-ˈrō-

plural

a

: flamboyantly boastful language or action

avoids heroics in his writing

b

: courageous, noble, or self-sacrificing action or behavior : heroic action or behavior

the heroics of the civil rights movement

c

: determined effort especially in the face of difficulty

Synonyms

Adjective

• bold
• brave
• courageous
• dauntless
• doughty
• fearless
• gallant
• greathearted
• gutsy
• gutty
• intrepid
• lionhearted
• manful
• stalwart
• stout
• stouthearted
• undauntable
• undaunted
• valiant
• valorous

Examples of heroic in a Sentence

Adjective

It was heroic of those women to fight for the right to vote.

The soldiers received medals for their heroic actions.

Despite heroic efforts to save the business, it ultimately went bankrupt.

a political battle of heroic proportions

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Election officials did a heroic job this year, said Pamela Smith, president and CEO of Verified Voting, a nonprofit that works with state and local election officials to keep voting systems secure. —Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 12 Nov. 2024

And what is the Trump campaign producing if not fantastical propaganda intended to conjure a false image of Joe Biden’s America as a dark, dangerous place on the verge of destruction, besieged by immigrants, and savable only by one heroic man? —Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 21 Oct. 2024

Noun

The Kansas City Chiefs remained the only undefeated team in the NFL thanks to late heroics of their own. —Elizabeth Both, NBC News, 11 Nov. 2024

Buehler was once looked at as an afterthought for the Dodgers to bring back in 2025, but due to his postseason heroics, this idea has changed. —Marco Rubio, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1573, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing heroic

• heroic couplet
• heroic poem
• heroic stanza
• heroic verse
• mock-heroic

Kids Definition

heroic

adjective

he·​ro·​ic

hi-ˈrō-ik,

 also  her-ˈō-,

 or  hē-ˈrō-

1

: of or relating to heroes especially of ancient times

the heroic age

heroic legends

2

: courageous, daring

a heroic rescue

3

: large or impressive in size or range : grand

heroically

-i-k(ə-)lē

adverb

Medical Definition

heroic

adjective

he·​ro·​ic

hi-ˈrō-ik also her-ˈō- or hē-ˈrō-

1

: of a kind that is likely to be undertaken only to save life

heroic surgery

heroic treatment

2

: having a pronounced effect

—used chiefly of medicaments or dosage

heroic doses

a heroic drug