Dictionary
1heroic
adjective he·ro·ic \hi-ˈrō-ik also her-ˈō- or hē-ˈrō-\
: of or relating to heroes
: having or showing great courage
: very large or great in size, amount, etc.
Full Definition of HEROIC
1
: of, relating to, resembling, or suggesting heroes especially of antiquity
2
a : exhibiting or marked by courage and daring b : supremely noble or self-sacrificing
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
— he·ro·ical·ly \-i-k(ə-)lē\ adverb
See heroic defined for English-language learners
See heroic defined for kids
Variants of HEROIC
he·ro·ic also he·ro·ical \-i-kəl\
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First Known Use of HEROIC
1549
Related to HEROIC
- Synonyms
- bold, courageous, dauntless, doughty, fearless, gallant, greathearted, gutsy, gutty, brave (also heroical), intrepid, lionhearted, manful, stalwart, stout, stouthearted, undauntable, undaunted, valiant, valorous
- Antonyms
- chicken, chickenhearted, chicken-livered, coward, cowardly, craven, dastardly, fainthearted, fearful, gutless, lily-livered, milk-livered [archaic], nerveless, poltroon, poor-spirited, pusillanimous, spineless, spiritless, timorous, uncourageous, ungallant, unheroic, weakhearted, yellow
2heroic
noun
Definition of HEROIC
1
: a heroic verse or poem
2
plural a : flamboyantly heroic language or action b : heroic action or behavior c : determined effort especially in the face of difficulty
First Known Use of HEROIC
1596
Other Literature Terms
HEROICALLY Defined for Kids
heroic
adjective he·ro·ic \hi-ˈrō-ik\
Definition of HEROIC for Kids
1
: of or relating to heroism or heroes <heroic tales>
Medical Dictionary
heroic
adjective he·ro·ic \hi-ˈrō-ik also her-ˈō- or hē-ˈrō-\
Medical Definition of HEROIC
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>
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