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
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
c
: determined effort especially in the face of difficulty
Synonyms
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
Michael Peregrine, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024
Instead, she’s celebrated as more of a mythic figure, the specifics of her arduous journeys on the Underground Railroad overlooked in favor of sweeping heroic narratives.
—Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Nov. 2024
Elizabeth Both, NBC News, 11 Nov. 2024
Buehler was once looked at as an afterthought for the Dodgers to bring back in 2025, but due to his postseason heroics, this idea has changed.
—Marco Rubio, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for heroic 
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Adjective
Mike Ditka’s players were well aware of, and respected, those qualities - as best demonstrated by his heroic 63 yard catch-and-run in 1963 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
—Michael Peregrine, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024
Instead, she’s celebrated as more of a mythic figure, the specifics of her arduous journeys on the Underground Railroad overlooked in favor of sweeping heroic narratives.
—Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Nov. 2024
Noun
The Kansas City Chiefs remained the only undefeated team in the NFL thanks to late heroics of their own.
—Elizabeth Both, NBC News, 11 Nov. 2024
Buehler was once looked at as an afterthought for the Dodgers to bring back in 2025, but due to his postseason heroics, this idea has changed.
—Marco Rubio, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for heroic
Dictionary Entries Near heroic
Cite this Entry
“Heroic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heroic. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
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