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
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Recent Examples of unheroic
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
John’s figures are wood stained in unheroic reality.
—Bob Guccione Jr, SPIN, 17 Feb. 2023
But rational reasoning is no way to reach Josephine, as the adults around her discover one by one — beginning with Spencer, played with commendably unheroic tetchiness by Harington, as his sensitive support gradually sours into parental oneupmanship.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 2 Feb. 2023
Its stars still burn brightly—perhaps especially so in our own gruesomely unheroic times—with Ernest Shackleton considered by many to be the brightest star of them all.
—Sara Wheeler, WSJ, 11 Jan. 2022
And if the moderate theory appears cautious and unheroic, well, it's got nothing on the unheroic inactivity of most Republicans hoping to defang Trumpism, who have convinced themselves that the way to avoid a worse replay of the 2020 endgame is not to fight him openly at all.
—Ross Douthat New York Times, Star Tribune, 7 June 2021
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
John’s figures are wood stained in unheroic reality.
—Bob Guccione Jr, SPIN, 17 Feb. 2023
But rational reasoning is no way to reach Josephine, as the adults around her discover one by one — beginning with Spencer, played with commendably unheroic tetchiness by Harington, as his sensitive support gradually sours into parental oneupmanship.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 2 Feb. 2023
Its stars still burn brightly—perhaps especially so in our own gruesomely unheroic times—with Ernest Shackleton considered by many to be the brightest star of them all.
—Sara Wheeler, WSJ, 11 Jan. 2022
And if the moderate theory appears cautious and unheroic, well, it's got nothing on the unheroic inactivity of most Republicans hoping to defang Trumpism, who have convinced themselves that the way to avoid a worse replay of the 2020 endgame is not to fight him openly at all.
—Ross Douthat New York Times, Star Tribune, 7 June 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unheroic
Adjective
-
In practice, despite his rhetoric, Israel’s longest serving prime minister’s security policy was widely seen as cautious and relatively restrained, even derided as cowardly by political rivals, who also mocked his inability to make decisive moves.—
Tal Shalev,
CNN Money,
29 Sep. 2025
-
Violence in a place of worship is a cowardly and criminal act.—
Hollie Silverman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Even with more women 55 and older in the workforce than ever before, women often are afraid to talk about menopause in the office.—
Laura Trujillo,
USA Today,
7 Oct. 2025
-
Bohemian homes are never afraid of color, particularly when AD100 designer Justina Blakeney is involved.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
6 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Hundreds of frightened residents gathered in a grassy field near the fire station and refused to return home hours after the quake struck Bogo in Cebu province.—
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Sep. 2025
-
So stay calm, control your breathing, don’t be frightened.—
Ellise Shafer,
Variety,
29 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Missourians have the opportunity to put this craven power grab up for a vote.—
Adeola Adeosun,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Sep. 2025
-
There are lots of good rebuttals to this craven move.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
5 Aug. 2025
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
Adjective
-
Alolkoy, said despite the bear's small size and obviously scared state, the store quickly erupted in a chaotic scene.—
Rey Covarrubias Jr,
AZCentral.com,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Are players scared to talk about it publicly?—
Adam Crafton,
New York Times,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
In a year of gutless moves by major media companies, this may be the most gutless.—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Listen, by doing it this way, with a press release instead of a press conference, Rose looks both gutless and gutty at the same time.—
Mike Lupica,
New York Daily News,
6 June 2025
Adjective
-
Even Hinch, who has done his best to project calm and confidence during this dastardly stretch, made one of his most questionable decisions in five years managing the Tigers.—
Cody Stavenhagen,
New York Times,
24 Sep. 2025
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Blanc is trying to put together a puzzle, but most of its pieces are rooted in the human foibles that drive people to do dastardly things.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
7 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unheroic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unheroic. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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