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unheroic

adjective

ˌən-hi-ˈrō-ik How to pronounce unheroic (audio)
Definition of unheroicnext
as in cowardly
having or showing a shameful lack of courage the new biography casts the romanticized outlaw in a much more vicious and unheroic light

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 unheroic Yes, Arsenal fan Neel from New Delhi held his nerve on the final day to shake off the persistent and heroic challenge of six-year-old Wilfred — and the meandering, distinctly unheroic challenge of a 51-year-old journalist. — Oliver Kay, New York Times, 26 May 2026 That larger significance is remarkably unheroic and fatalistic. — Gabriel Winslow-Yost, Harper's Magazine, 23 Sep. 2024 In the world of The Boys, based on the gleefully scabrous 2000s indie comic-book series of the same name by writer Garth Ennis and artist Darick Robertson, superheroes are real, pop-culture-dominating, and with rare exceptions, entirely unheroic. — Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 13 June 2024 From the costumes to the makeup, from visual effects to sound design, the goal was to be as realistic as possible and underscore the movie’s anti-war and deliberately unheroic depiction of an ordinary soldier in battle. — Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Mar. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unheroic
  1. cowardly
  2. afraid
  3. frightened
  4. craven
  5. pusillanimous
  6. scared
  7. gutless
  8. dastardly
Adjective
  • The cowardly, devious Turgeniev has assimilated to the comforts of the West —that alone is enough for Fyodor to detest him.
    — Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026
  • What’s left is a vaguely political YouTube series afraid of its own tail, incapable of being actually relatable and too cowardly to own the batshit truths of these people’s lives.
    — Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of cowardly
Adjective
  • The Florida International University senior struggled to attend classes and stopped driving – afraid something bad would happen.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 9 Sep. 2026
  • The 6-foot-6, 238-pounder is basically a gigantic receiver who isn’t afraid to put his hand in the dirt and block.
    — Nick Baumgardner, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of afraid
Adjective
  • Michael was still frightened and disoriented by what had taken place over spring break.
    — Ruby Cramer, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Roosevelt offered frightened and dispirited Americans a vision of a secure future.
    — John T. Shaw, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of frightened
Adjective
  • She was especially hurt that some of the people who criticized Cox most harshly, dismissing him as craven and disingenuous, were those who had the closest relationships with him.
    — McKay Coppins, The Atlantic, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Not an inspiration for craven pundits and politicians to use players as divisive avatars.
    — Brian Hamilton, New York Times, 2 July 2026
Definition of craven
Adjective
  • Some also have lost lawyers, dismayed by the pusillanimous behavior of their leaders.
    — Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 28 May 2025
  • The second believed the United States could attain comprehensive security through military-technological means and saw diplomacy as a quixotic or pusillanimous enterprise that dishonored and weakened the country.
    — A. Wess Mitchell, Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025
Definition of pusillanimous
Adjective
  • Smelling human hormones of fear, Whistler would have known that Mary was scared.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Across the playground, Star climbed to the top of a slide, then got too scared to come down.
    — Ruby Cramer, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of scared
Adjective
  • Forget about the networks, the streaming money is just going to continue to get bigger, especially at a time when there are almost as many pay channels as there are gutless members of Congress.
    — Mike Lupica, New York Daily News, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Trump’s revenge tour also took down five Indiana state senators who had voted against the midterm gerrymandering to which Florida’s gutless Republicans have agreed.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 29 May 2026
Definition of gutless
Adjective
  • Meanwhile, Thoma Bravo, the firm that brought you most of these enterprise software bonds that were sliced into these aforementioned pieces of dastardly paper, is back at it again, talking a big game and looking for big deals.
    — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 13 Sep. 2026
  • Each of Coyote’s dastardly plans rely on equipment from the powerful conglomerate Acme.
    — Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of dastardly

Browse Nearby Words

unheralded
unheroic
unhesitating
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Unheroic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unheroic. Accessed 16 Sep. 2026.

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