heroic

1 of 2

adjective

he·​ro·​ic hi-ˈrō-ik How to pronounce heroic (audio)
 also  her-ˈō-,
 or  hē-ˈrō-
variants or less commonly heroical
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 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 How to pronounce heroic (audio)
 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

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
And the officers recently recounted their heroic efforts on Fox News. Fox News Staff, Fox News, 18 Oct. 2024 These increasingly slim volumes demonstrate our almost heroic efforts to persist in an era where advertisers find greater opportunities online. Chris Willman, Variety, 11 Oct. 2024
Noun
The New York Yankees are headed to the World Series thanks to the heroics of two sluggers in Game Five and throughout the entire American League Championship Series—Giancarlo Stanton and Juan Soto. Daniel R. Epstein, Forbes, 20 Oct. 2024 Bourla’s pandemic heroics, for which he has been widely saluted, need no retelling. Ryan Hogg, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for heroic 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'heroic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1573, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of heroic was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near heroic

Cite this Entry

“Heroic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heroic. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on heroic

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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