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
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
c
: determined effort especially in the face of difficulty
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
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 14 Oct. 2025
Sometimes that truth was heroic—his tireless advocacy for Leonard Peltier, or in defense of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge—and sometimes the truth was less flattering.
—Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2025
Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025
Maybe Philadelphia wins a lot of 2-1 games thanks to heroics from Michkov and Konecny, but given the roster’s other holes, the most likely outcome is another high pick and another step forward for a prospect pool that could use a few more high-end pieces.
—James Mirtle, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for heroic
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Adjective
From the heroic tales of Perseus and Andromeda to the zodiac signs that shape horoscopes, these star patterns have captivated cultures across the globe.
—Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 14 Oct. 2025
Sometimes that truth was heroic—his tireless advocacy for Leonard Peltier, or in defense of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge—and sometimes the truth was less flattering.
—Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2025
Noun
Varland was in no mood to marvel at Judge's heroics after his team's lead in the best-of-five battle shrank to just one game.
—Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025
Maybe Philadelphia wins a lot of 2-1 games thanks to heroics from Michkov and Konecny, but given the roster’s other holes, the most likely outcome is another high pick and another step forward for a prospect pool that could use a few more high-end pieces.
—James Mirtle, New York Times, 8 Oct. 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 17 Oct. 2025.
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