hero

noun

ˈhir-(ˌ)ō How to pronounce hero (audio)
Definition of heronext
1
as in idol
a person who is the object of extreme or uncritical devotion fans of the sports hero didn't care what the facts were—in their minds, he was innocent of all criminal charges

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in submarine
a large sandwich on a long split roll shared a foot-long meatball hero with his friend

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of hero One friend described the heroine’s journey as if the hero’s journey went to therapy—reflective and aware of context. — Literary Hub, 15 July 2026 More than 100,000 fans flooded the streets of the Norwegian capital Oslo on Monday to give their soccer team a heroes’ welcome, turning the heartbreak of their World Cup exit into a massive national celebration. — Reuters, NBC news, 14 July 2026 The parallels of this team’s performances with those of the national heroes of 2010 are uncanny, except there’s just a tad more to them. — Patrick Sung Cuadrado, CNN Money, 14 July 2026 Along the way, our hero encounters the sorceress Circe, who turns his companions into pigs; makes a descent into Hades; fights the song of the sirens; and survives the island of the nymph Calypso. — Valentina Colosimo, Vanity Fair, 14 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for hero
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hero
  1. idol
  2. submarine
  3. icon
  4. god
Noun
  • This is a wickedly precise rendering of a young, self-destructive heroine worshiping at the altar of a false idol—and narrated in hindsight, from her later, more perspicacious vantage.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 July 2026
  • Seger, his longtime idol, took notice, and invited him to open.
    — Marissa R. Moss, Rolling Stone, 16 July 2026
Definition of idol
Noun
  • Under the deal, Gabler will oversee the platform’s commercialization, integration with host submarines, and delivery to future naval customers.
    — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 15 July 2026
  • For the first time in its history, the US military sent explosive-laden drone boats into combat by attacking an Iranian midget submarine and naval port.
    — Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 14 July 2026
Definition of submarine
Noun
  • Stock Chart IconStock chart icon Brent crude futures and West Texas Intermediate futures over the last six months.
    — Sam Meredith,Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 17 July 2026
  • Since dominating the Olympics with her unfiltered behind-the-scenes content and championing body positivity, Maher has become an internet icon.
    — Janey Wetzel, PEOPLE, 16 July 2026
Definition of icon
Noun
  • Here in Tamil Nadu, reality was—still is—perceived to reside not in the physical world but in the relationship between that world and the transcendent realm of Siva and Vishnu, two great gods of the Tamil country.
    — Chandrahas Choudhury, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 July 2026
  • Andrew Raftery Two forceful exhibitions have shown how Indian artists and presses met the cultural upheaval of the nineteenth century with lithographic prints that rendered Hindu gods more approachable and helped to galvanize national identity.
    — The New York Review of Books, The New York Review of Books, 4 July 2026
Definition of god

Phrases Containing hero

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hermits
hero
heroes
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Cite this Entry

“Hero.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hero. Accessed 19 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on hero

Nglish: Translation of hero for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about hero

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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