heroic

adjective

hi-ˈrō-ik
variants also heroical
Definition of heroicnext
1
as in courageous
feeling or displaying no fear by temperament a memorial honoring the heroic nurses who served in the war

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in epic
large and impressive in size, grandeur, extent, or conception an opera production of heroic proportions

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in tremendous
unusually large a heroic statue of Alexander the Great astride his horse

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 heroic Abdullah, a longtime security guard, was praised for his heroic actions confronting the shooters and giving others time to flee. — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026 The department shared multiple photos of the heroic rescue effort. — Alex Nitzberg, FOXNews.com, 31 Aug. 2026 Climate hardware companies do not need one heroic investor to fund their next thousand projects. — Rob Day, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026 Now the Navy is reneging on its promise to name an aircraft carrier for Doris Miller, the heroic Black mess attendant who manned a machine gun at Pearl Harbor. — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 24 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for heroic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heroic
  1. courageous
  2. epic
  3. tremendous
  4. valiant
  5. glorious
  6. huge
  7. brave
  8. magnificent
Adjective
  • However, rather than the courageous grand duchesses who fought for the freedom of their people far away, the author was fascinated by the suffragette movement of the 1910s.
    — Giorgia Olivieri, Vanity Fair, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Those early songs and some of that stuff was so courageous, so good.
    — Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of courageous
Adjective
  • For San Francisco, a comeback of epic proportions — the club was down 11-5 entering the fourth inning — was for naught.
    — Johnny Flores Jr, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Polyphonic and epic, the novel delves into the characters’ quest for authenticity, artistic freedom, and survival in the wake of tragedy.
    — Jasmine Vojdani, Vulture, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of epic
Adjective
  • Keenum, in his 15th season, remains a tremendous resource for both younger quarterbacks.
    — Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 30 Aug. 2026
  • First of all, with its WFI, it's meant to process a tremendous amount of data in relatively short periods of time in order to survey gigantic zones of our cosmos.
    — Monisha Ravisetti, Space.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of tremendous
Adjective
  • Which puts a spotlight on the embarrassing disorder of Expo Park itself (despite valiant efforts from its current leadership, including a parking lot soon to be turned into a park near BMO Stadium).
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Tong’s valiant charge promises to yield returns in the longer term, but CT leadership must do more now to restore Connecticut’s reputation and status as a haven for all families.
    — Dr. SJ Job, Hartford Courant, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of valiant
Adjective
  • Tracing the length of one of these wild, winding promontories is the glorious, 46-mile Queen Charlotte Track, says Helen Pickles in The Times.
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 30 Aug. 2026
  • His particular favorites are Yeung’s Green Zebra tomatoes, the Brandywines, and the glorious red-gold Pineapples.
    — Anne Ewbank, Sacbee.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of glorious
Adjective
  • Golden Tempo, meanwhile, assumed his position near the back of the field as his deep closing style has delivered huge glory in the past.
    — Danny Brewer, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • At least 788 people have been killed in Nepal following huge torrents along the Nepal-China border on Wednesday, according to local police.
    — Bhadra Sharma, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of huge
Adjective
  • How will this play out as these brave, disillusioned journalists enter our world?
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Gunn was indeed brave, and her performance was indeed a train wreck.
    — Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of brave
Adjective
  • Originally intended for Florence Cathedral’s roof, the statue proved too heavy to hoist and too magnificent to place so high.
    — Alicja Zelazko, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The front of the enormous building faces the magnificent Place Vendôme.
    — David Denby, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of magnificent

Browse Nearby Words

heroes
heroic
heroically
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Cite this Entry

“Heroic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heroic. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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