# heroic

/hɪˈɹoʊɪk/ (US) · /hɪɹˈəʊɪk/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/heroic
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. brave and noble

adjective · CEFR B2

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

For teachers: 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.

### 2. larger than life

adjective · CEFR C1 · Technical

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

For teachers: 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.

### 3. poetry style

noun · CEFR C2 · Academic · Literary

a type of verse or line used in traditional poetry.

For teachers: 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.

## Examples

- The firefighters made a heroic effort to save the building.
- The doctor's heroic work during the pandemic earned her a national award for service.
- Historians often debate whether such heroic narratives are accurate reflections of the past or merely romanticised versions of events designed to inspire national pride.

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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.