variants
or less commonly heroical
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
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 foolishBe careful now. This is no time for heroics.
c
: determined effort especially in the face of difficulty
the team's heroics in the finals
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
Leo Barraclough, Variety, 18 Dec. 2025
Arriving at a moment when the movies have seldom felt more finite or more vulnerable, as an industry or as a medium, this astonishing work insists—in its title, and in the heroic force of Bi’s artistry and ambition—that every end really is a new beginning.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 18 Dec. 2025
Charlotte Observer, 14 Dec. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for heroic
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Adjective
Accustomed to playing charming heroic protagonists, he is insulted by the offer of a supporting role.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 18 Dec. 2025
Arriving at a moment when the movies have seldom felt more finite or more vulnerable, as an industry or as a medium, this astonishing work insists—in its title, and in the heroic force of Bi’s artistry and ambition—that every end really is a new beginning.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 18 Dec. 2025
Noun
This feels like a game that will come down to Bryce Young’s patented crunch-time heroics.
—Charlotte Observer, 14 Dec. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for heroic
Cite this Entry
“Heroic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heroic. Accessed 21 Dec. 2025.
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