hi-ˈrō-ik
variants
also heroical
1
as in courageous
feeling or displaying no fear by temperament
a memorial honoring the heroic nurses who served in the war
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in epic
large and impressive in size, grandeur, extent, or conception
an opera production of heroic proportions
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in tremendous
unusually large
a heroic statue of Alexander the Great astride his horse
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of heroic
This last sneak peek serves up heaps of colorful heroic set pieces as He-Man recruits a fearsome force to storm Castle Greyskull and reclaim the throne from his hateful nemesis.
—
Jeff Spry, Space.com, 26 May 2026
Unfortunately, Chapman's heroic actions were hidden for far too long, which led to some very ugly inter-military disputes.
—David Hookstead Outkick, FOXNews.com, 25 May 2026
At the same time, Pratchett was not an anarchist—Vimes is a policeman, which is depicted as a heroic profession—or an identitarian.
—Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 24 May 2026
To San Diego and the world, Amin Abdullah, 51, is the heroic San Diego Islamic Center security guard who stood between children, teachers and death.
—Roxana Popescu, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for heroic
Jeff Spry, Space.com, 26 May 2026
Unfortunately, Chapman's heroic actions were hidden for far too long, which led to some very ugly inter-military disputes.
—David Hookstead Outkick, FOXNews.com, 25 May 2026
At the same time, Pratchett was not an anarchist—Vimes is a policeman, which is depicted as a heroic profession—or an identitarian.
—Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 24 May 2026
To San Diego and the world, Amin Abdullah, 51, is the heroic San Diego Islamic Center security guard who stood between children, teachers and death.
—Roxana Popescu, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for heroic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heroic
Adjective
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Perkin described his wife as inventive and courageous in her art.—
Julie Gallant,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 June 2026
-
Nearly four decades later, as cuts to HIV prevention and treatment programs threaten to unravel years of progress, Earle’s story remains a testament to the power of courageous action.—
Christina Ray Stanton,
Time,
2 June 2026
Adjective
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Kornet played six minutes, missed all three of his shot attempts and finished with only two points, but the block was an epic moment.—
Tim Reynolds,
Los Angeles Times,
31 May 2026
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The Destroyer simply lacked the magic and ambition of the original, feeling light and camp instead of serious and epic.—
Mark Hughes,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
Adjective
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There is little doubt that this is a rapidly developing field and that there are tremendous upsides to be had, but at the same time, regrettably, hidden risks and outright gotchas come into these endeavors, too.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2026
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By any measure, Antioch’s Brooke White has had a tremendous freshman season, starting for a state title contender, playing a sterling second base and leading the team in hitting.—
Steve Reaven,
Chicago Tribune,
30 May 2026
Adjective
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Diamondbacks center fielder Jorge Barrosa made a valiant diving effort to catch the ball, and Adames would’ve easily been doubled off had Barrosa caught it.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
27 May 2026
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Busch, who tragically died at 41 on Thursday from an undetermined illness, turned in a valiant effort in 2014, finishing sixth in the Indy 500 despite having limited experience in IndyCar.—
Steve Henson,
Los Angeles Times,
22 May 2026
Adjective
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But the nation honored by the glorious moment still retains the power of recovery and renewal praised by Douglass.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
31 May 2026
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Some of you aren’t ready for this conversation, but McCartney’s past two decades have been the most glorious creative roll of his post-Beatles life.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
30 May 2026
Adjective
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Ciber ’s team work quickly under netting to mount a huge Browning heavy machine gun onto tank tracks.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
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The eighth-inning bomb was huge, too.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
30 May 2026
Adjective
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As the players linked arms as one by one — five of them were brave enough to take on the enormous pressure of these penalties — in the shadows was the 2-1 defeat by Barcelona in their only other Champions League final twenty years ago.—
Amy Lawrence,
New York Times,
31 May 2026
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Two years later, Simon Porte Jacquemus, the prodigy from Provence, had models brave a shower of gently falling straw in giant hats made of the same material at his spring 2023 show.—
Irene Kim,
Vogue,
30 May 2026
Adjective
-
The hotel houses a magnificent collection of 20th-century prints and drawings which hang throughout the bedrooms and public spaces; spot the Picasso and the Cocteaus in the Picteau Lounge Bar.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
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The Italian Lounge, for example, has a magnificent blue-and-gold ceiling imported from the Grimation Palace in Florence in the late 19th century.—
Harriet Marsden,
TheWeek,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Heroic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heroic. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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