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

Relevance

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
  • Or maybe the problem is Cape Fear itself for being too cowardly to commit to the certainty that drove the previous versions of this story.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 26 June 2026
  • But even the most perfect Constitution can be undone by the wicked with the help of the bought, the stupid, and the cowardly.
    — Ann Manov, Harpers Magazine, 23 June 2026
Definition of cowardly
Adjective
  • Sometimes in big matches, being afraid of taking a risk is the riskiest strategy of all.
    — Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 16 July 2026
  • Pay attention to the wash and cut, and don’t be afraid to ditch your plain blue jeans for bolder alternatives.
    — India Roby, Glamour, 15 July 2026
Definition of afraid
Adjective
  • The bear, seemingly frightened, quickly turns away from the boy and continues running, sliding under a boat parked in the driveway.
    — Mason Leib, ABC News, 7 July 2026
  • In May, a frightened horse rammed into another carriage, causing the vehicle to flip over, injuring the driver.
    — ANDREA SACHS THE WASHINGTON POST, Arkansas Online, 28 June 2026
Definition of frightened
Adjective
  • Not an inspiration for craven pundits and politicians to use players as divisive avatars.
    — Brian Hamilton, New York Times, 2 July 2026
  • In 2024, The Onion purchased Infowars, the conspiracy website born of the craven lunatic/Sandy Hook shooting denier Alex Jones.
    — Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 29 Apr. 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
  • The Cubs haven’t been scared of taking pitchers who have had that procedure in their history or even missing some of their draft year because of it.
    — Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 13 July 2026
  • This result, though—an impotent, scared team that is clearly not ready for the moment—feels like two steps forward and one very large step back.
    — Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026
Definition of scared
Adjective
  • 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
  • Keane called out the Red Wings as gutless for waiting for a home game to exact revenge.
    — Troy Renck, Denver Post, 28 May 2026
Definition of gutless
Adjective
  • All that was left was a single high heel, no doubt dislodged after the host put up an epic struggle against her dastardly kidnapper.
    — Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 6 July 2026
  • Saving people from dastardly supervillains and disastrous earthquakes, those are jobs for Superman.
    — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 1 July 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 18 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 17
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
child-detective
Spot the Misspelled Word July 2026 Those little red underlines can't help you now...
See All