antihero

noun

an·​ti·​he·​ro
ˈan-tē-ˌhē-(ˌ)rō,
ˈan-ˌtī- How to pronounce antihero (audio)
-ˌhir-(ˌ)ō
plural antiheroes
: a protagonist or notable figure who is conspicuously lacking in heroic qualities
antiheroic
ˌan-tē-hi-ˈrō-ik
ˌan-ˌtī- How to pronounce antihero (audio)
adjective

Examples of antihero in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Theresa is easy not to notice in everyday life, and Keaton tapped into that ordinariness, along with the wanderlust that gripped so many discontented antiheroes of the 1970s. Tim Grierson, Rolling Stone, 11 Oct. 2025 In his nitpicking and narcissism, the relatability of his grievances and his unhinged methods of redressing them, Ron also resembles a younger, Middle American version of Larry David’s Curb Your Enthusiasm antihero. Judy Berman, Time, 9 Oct. 2025 Her composite antihero is a mother gone mad in a rural village in France. Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2025 Many of Herzog’s films capture that sense of a quixotic, even bizarre quest, an antihero searching for some kind of truth that may be obvious only to himself. Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 28 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for antihero

Word History

First Known Use

1714, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of antihero was in 1714

Cite this Entry

“Antihero.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/antihero. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.

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