antihero

noun

an·​ti·​he·​ro ˈan-tē-ˌhē-(ˌ)rō How to pronounce antihero (audio) 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.
Colman Domingo plays Jackson’s father as a kind of antihero, whose determination to help his sons succeed turns into something darker. Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026 Onscreen, Robby is hardening into an antihero. Scottie Andrew, CNN Money, 15 Apr. 2026 But Potter, who struggled with unchecked mental illness, depicted himself as an antihero outsider with a spiritual connection to the ravens of Yosemite, and could also be juvenile, selfish and oblivious. Stuart Miller, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2026 And that’s a risk that The Audacity is courting in a premiere that doesn’t care yet about turning its satirical targets into antiheroes, which is what Glatzer was doing on Better Call Saul and Succession. Scott Tobias, Vulture, 12 Apr. 2026 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 27 Apr. 2026.

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