# sword and sorcery

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/sword-and-sorcery
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Of or pertaining to a genre of narratives—including short stories, novels, television shows, films, and computer games—which combines wizardry and other fantastical supernatural elements with violent combat using pre-modern weaponry.

## Examples

- He loves reading books about sword and sorcery.
- The bookstore has a large section dedicated to sword and sorcery novels for fans of fantasy adventures.
- The film successfully captures the gritty, violent essence of the sword and sorcery genre, blending dark magic with brutal medieval combat.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.