variants
or less commonly heroical
1
: of or relating to courageous people or the mythological or legendary figures of antiquity : of, relating to, resembling, or suggesting heroes especially of antiquity
heroic legends
the heroic age
2
a
: exhibiting or marked by courage and daring
the heroic actions of the first responders
It was a heroic decision.
b
: supremely noble or self-sacrificing
a heroic gesture
received medals for their heroic actions
3
a
: of impressive size, power, extent, or effect
a heroic voice
b(1)
: of great intensity : extreme
heroic effort
(2)
: of a kind that is likely only to be undertaken to save a life
heroic surgery
4
: of, relating to, or constituting drama written during the Restoration in heroic couplets and concerned with a conflict between love and honor
1
: a verse or poem written during the Restoration using rhyming couplets in iambic pentameter and concerned with a conflict between love and honor : a heroic verse or poem
2
heroics
hi-ˈrō-iks 
also her-ˈō-
or hē-ˈrō-
plural
a
: flamboyantly boastful language or action
avoids heroics in his writing
b
: courageous, noble, or self-sacrificing action or behavior : heroic action or behavior
the heroics of the civil rights movement
—sometimes used for heroic actions that are considered foolishBe careful now. This is no time for heroics.
c
: determined effort especially in the face of difficulty
the team's heroics in the finals
Examples of heroic in a Sentence
Adjective
It was heroic of those women to fight for the right to vote.
The soldiers received medals for their heroic actions.
Despite heroic efforts to save the business, it ultimately went bankrupt.
a political battle of heroic proportions
Recent Examples on the Web
Brian Truitt, USA Today, 2 Jan. 2026
In Jujutsu Kaisen, heroic jujutsu sorcerers wage war against demonic creatures called curses and the curse users, who wield jujutsu powers for evil.
—Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 1 Jan. 2026
Jay Harris, New York Times, 3 Jan. 2026
The Longhorns and Wolverines were in lock-step throughout most of the game, with no margin wider than a touchdown, but that all changed in the fourth quarter thanks to Arch Manning's late game heroics.
—Zoe Collins Rath, Austin American Statesman, 1 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for heroic
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Adjective
And see you later to the heroic Hawkins kids.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 2 Jan. 2026
In Jujutsu Kaisen, heroic jujutsu sorcerers wage war against demonic creatures called curses and the curse users, who wield jujutsu powers for evil.
—Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 1 Jan. 2026
Noun
Coulibaly scored 21 times in 52 appearances, form that took him to the brink of a senior debut for Ivory Coast — exactly a decade after his heroics at that Under-17 World Cup in Mexico.
—Jay Harris, New York Times, 3 Jan. 2026
The Longhorns and Wolverines were in lock-step throughout most of the game, with no margin wider than a touchdown, but that all changed in the fourth quarter thanks to Arch Manning's late game heroics.
—Zoe Collins Rath, Austin American Statesman, 1 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for heroic
Cite this Entry
“Heroic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heroic. Accessed 5 Jan. 2026.
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