Word
heroic
Phoneticshero·ic
US/hɪˈɹoʊɪk/
UK/hɪɹˈəʊɪk/
Definitions
01brave and noble
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.
“The firefighters made a heroic effort to save the family from the burning building.”
“The biography details her heroic resistance against the occupying forces, highlighting the immense personal risk she accepted to protect her community.”
Synonyms
02larger than life
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.
“The museum has a heroic statue of the ancient king in the main hall.”
“The sculptor chose a heroic scale for the monument to ensure it commanded the plaza without overwhelming the surrounding neoclassical architecture.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
03poetry style
C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Academic · Literary
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.
“The poet wrote the entire epic in heroics to match the grand story.”
“The translation of the Iliad into English heroics attempted to preserve the rhythmic dignity of the original Greek dactylic hexameter.”
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“After last week’s heroic rearguard action against Bayern, Schalke were able to spread their wings and get a first Bundesliga win in nearly three-and-a-half years at Union.” “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.” Etymology
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.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
ADVERB
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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englishreference.com/q/heroic