plural heroes also heros
1
a
: a mythological or legendary figure often of divine descent endowed with great strength or ability
These records recount a rich collection of mythic heroes, gods, and goddesses.—
Miriam Van Scott
Miriam Van Scott
b
: an illustrious warrior or soldier
… explaining that he was at work on behalf of the war hero Andres Alvino Cáceres …—Maria Arana
Maria Arana
c
: a person who shows great courage
the hero of the hurricane rescue
d
: a person admired for achievements and noble qualities
His father has always been his hero.
… Spinoza and Einstein, who are heroes for the human species …—Christopher Hitchens
Christopher Hitchens2
a
: the principal character in a literary or dramatic work : protagonist
The film opens, rather startlingly, with our hero handcuffed to a chair …—Owen Gleiberman
—used specifically of a principal male character especially when contrasted with heroineOwen GleibermanA special feature was the cliff-hanger ending when hero, heroine, or both found themselves confronting a violent demise …—Ira Konigsberg
—now also used of a principal character who is femaleIra Konigsberg… action movies with female heroes are emerging more frequently, and with increasing quality.—William Bibbiani
William Bibbiani
b
: the central figure in an event, period, or movement
In the seventeenth century the navigator really had been the hero of the moment …—Jonathan Raban
Jonathan Raban3
: an object of extreme admiration and devotion : idol
Muhammad Ali was a hero not only to me, but also to my entire community.—Jabari Asim
Jabari Asim4
plural usually heros, US
: a large sandwich on a long split roll with any of a variety of fillings (as meatballs or cold cuts, cheese, lettuce, and tomato) : submarine entry 2 sense 2
: a legendary priestess of Aphrodite loved by Leander
Phrases
hero's welcome
: an enthusiastic welcome for someone who is regarded as a hero
The astronaut received a hero's welcome upon her return from space.
: one that has not received proper recognition
Banana bread is the unsung hero of cutting back on kitchen waste.—Kaitlyn McInnis
Kaitlyn McInnisSynonyms of hero
Examples of hero in a Sentence
Noun (1)
A motto of his hero, Thomas Edison, is inscribed on a favorite sweatshirt : "To invent you need a good imagination and a pile of junk."
—Britt Robson, Mother Jones, May/June 2008
Greater authors—Arthur Conan Doyle most notably—have been in the same dilemma when seeking closure. And, like Conan Doyle, Rowling has won imperishable renown for giving us an identifiable hero and a fine caricature of a villain, and for making a fictional bit of King's Cross station as luminous as a certain address on nearby Baker Street.
—Christopher Hitchens, New York Times Book Review, 12 Aug. 2007
Here's a novel by a decorated war hero with a fictional Middle Eastern desert war at its core. It pits an American-led coalition against a potentially lethal enemy …
—Lorenzo Carcaterra, People, 3 June 1991
Other physicists, long wedded to the notion that nothing can escape from a black hole, have generally come to accept that discovery. And the stuff emitted from little black holes (and big ones too, but far more slowly) is now called Hawking radiation. "In general relativity and early cosmology, Hawking is the hero," says Rocky Kolb, a physicist at Fermilab in Illinois.
—Leon Jaroff, Time, 8 Feb. 1988
He returned from the war a national hero.
the hero of a rescue
She was a hero for standing up to the government.
His father has always been his hero.
He has always been a hero to his son.
Britt Robson, Mother Jones, May/June 2008
Greater authors—Arthur Conan Doyle most notably—have been in the same dilemma when seeking closure. And, like Conan Doyle, Rowling has won imperishable renown for giving us an identifiable hero and a fine caricature of a villain, and for making a fictional bit of King's Cross station as luminous as a certain address on nearby Baker Street.
—Christopher Hitchens, New York Times Book Review, 12 Aug. 2007
Here's a novel by a decorated war hero with a fictional Middle Eastern desert war at its core. It pits an American-led coalition against a potentially lethal enemy …
—Lorenzo Carcaterra, People, 3 June 1991
Other physicists, long wedded to the notion that nothing can escape from a black hole, have generally come to accept that discovery. And the stuff emitted from little black holes (and big ones too, but far more slowly) is now called Hawking radiation. "In general relativity and early cosmology, Hawking is the hero," says Rocky Kolb, a physicist at Fermilab in Illinois.
—Leon Jaroff, Time, 8 Feb. 1988
He returned from the war a national hero.
the hero of a rescue
She was a hero for standing up to the government.
His father has always been his hero.
He has always been a hero to his son.
Recent Examples on the Web
Bruce Martin, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Addison Barger, who'd been scuffling in August, played the role of late-game hero.
—Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Aug. 2025
Bruce Martin, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Addison Barger, who'd been scuffling in August, played the role of late-game hero.
—Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hero
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.
Noun
The late, great Dan Gurney is one of the many racing heroes that Hoffner was worked with.
—Bruce Martin, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Addison Barger, who'd been scuffling in August, played the role of late-game hero.
—Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Aug. 2025
Noun
The late, great Dan Gurney is one of the many racing heroes that Hoffner was worked with.
—Bruce Martin, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Addison Barger, who'd been scuffling in August, played the role of late-game hero.
—Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hero
Cite this Entry
“Hero.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hero. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
hero
noun
he·ro
ˈhē-rō 
ˈhi(ə)r-ō
plural heroes
1
a
: a mythological or legendary figure of great strength or ability
b
: an outstanding warrior or soldier
c
: a person admired for achievements and qualities
d
: one that shows great courage
the hero of a rescue
2
: the principal character in a literary or dramatic work
—used specifically of a principal male character especially when contrasted with heroine; now also used of a principal character who is female
3
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share