English Reference
adjective · noun

heroic

adj. · n.
US /hɪˈɹoʊɪk/ UK /hɪɹˈəʊɪk/ hero·ic

  1. 01 B2 Upper Intermediate

    adj.very brave or showing great courage, especially in a dangerous situation.

    adj.displaying or possessing the qualities of a hero, particularly exceptional courage or fortitude in the face of adversity.

    Simple

    The firefighters made a heroic effort to save the family from the burning building.

    In context

    The biography details her heroic resistance against the occupying forces, highlighting the immense personal risk she accepted to protect her community.

  2. 02 C1 Advanced Technical

    adj.describing a statue or painting that is larger than a real person but not huge.

    adj.referring to a scale of representation in sculpture or painting that is larger than life-size but smaller than colossal.

    Simple

    The museum has a heroic statue of the ancient king in the main hall.

    In context

    The sculptor chose a heroic scale for the monument to ensure it commanded the plaza without overwhelming the surrounding neoclassical architecture.

  3. 03 C2 Proficiency AcademicLiterary

    n.a type of verse or line used in traditional poetry.

    n.a verse form, such as the heroic couplet, typically used in epic poetry to convey a grand or serious tone.

    Simple

    The poet wrote the entire epic in heroics to match the grand story.

    In context

    The translation of the Iliad into English heroics attempted to preserve the rhythmic dignity of the original Greek dactylic hexameter.

    versecouplet

Vinicius Junior hit the post in the first half from Arda Guler’s pass across the face of goal, with Mbappe foiled twice by heroic blocks from Natan Bernardo de Souza and Marc Bartra.

Al Jazeera· 4 Sept 2026

Partly from Middle French heroïque and partly from Latin hērōicus. By surface analysis, hero + -ic.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin Latin hērōicus
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Frequent
Updated