heroic

1 of 2

adjective

he·​ro·​ic hi-ˈrō-ik 

also her-ˈō-

or hē-ˈrō-

variants or less commonly heroical

hi-ˈrō-i-kəl 

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

the heroic actions of the first responders

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

hi-ˈrō-i-k(ə-)lē 

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 

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

—sometimes used for heroic actions that are considered foolish

Be careful now. This is no time for heroics.

c

: determined effort especially in the face of difficulty

the team's heroics in the finals

Synonyms of heroic

Adjective

• courageous
• valiant
• brave
• fearless
• gallant

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 across them, the detective—once Modernism’s heroic empiricist—a figure of melancholy drift, a leftover from a world that still believed in beginnings and ends. —Literary Hub, 10 Dec. 2025

The Sterling Heights Police Department commended the actions of these officers, even referring to them as heroic. —Julia Avant, CBS News, 10 Dec. 2025

Noun

The ultra-cinematic heroics feel too large and dazzling for the material, the classic movie tropes too formulaic, and the illuminating effect of all of it is more mechanical than organic. —Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 8 Dec. 2025

The heroics of Tony Meola To talk about the Wizards’ 2000 MLS Cup team without mentioning Meola’s heroics would be shortsighted. —Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 4 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1573, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing heroic

• heroic couplet
• heroic poem
• heroic stanza
• heroic verse
• mock-heroic

Rhymes for heroic

• dichroic
• gabbroic
• allantoic
• anechoic
• cenozoic
• mesozoic
• pleochroic
• paleozoic
• phanerozoic
• proterozoic
• stoic

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