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

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

c

: determined effort especially in the face of difficulty

Synonyms

Adjective

• courageous
• valiant
• brave
• gallant
• fearless
• valorous

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

Roaldi and Sharpe consider what Stommes did inside that church during those horrific moments to be a heroic act. —Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 23 Oct. 2025

There’s nothing wrong with this effort by an artist to depict those tender and heroic moments after giving birth. —Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 23 Oct. 2025

Noun

Curry’s heroics beat back an immense 50-point game from Denver’s Aaron Gordon, who tied a record set by Terry Rozier in 2020 for the most threes in a season opener by making 10 triples. —Frank Nunns O'Connell 15 Hr Ago, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2025

Snell will have to continue his heroics if the Dodgers want to beat Toronto, which has a potent offense that can expose the bullpen's weaknesses. —Nelson Espinal, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 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