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
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
Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
And on Wednesday, McCarthy was rewarded for his heroic efforts in the Vikings' comeback victory.
—Reice Shipley, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 9 Sep. 2025
Out went a goalkeeper defined by his reflexes and shot-stopping heroics and in came one to reshape the way United would both defend and attack.
—James McNicholas, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for heroic
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Adjective
Somehow, they’re portrayed as heroic trials of love, requiring sacrifice, trust and resilience.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
And on Wednesday, McCarthy was rewarded for his heroic efforts in the Vikings' comeback victory.
—Reice Shipley, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
Noun
Allen’s heroics have denied Manchester Essex much offensive output over the last few years, which reached a pinnacle in last year’s tournament meeting with six shutouts.
—Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 9 Sep. 2025
Out went a goalkeeper defined by his reflexes and shot-stopping heroics and in came one to reshape the way United would both defend and attack.
—James McNicholas, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for heroic
Cite this Entry
“Heroic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heroic. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
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