plural heroes
1
a
: a mythological or legendary figure often of divine descent endowed with great strength or ability
b
: an illustrious warrior
c
: a person admired for achievements and noble qualities
d
: one who shows great courage
2
a
: the principal character in a literary or dramatic work
—used specifically of a principal male character especially when contrasted with heroine
A special feature was the cliff-hanger ending when hero, heroine, or both found themselves confronting a violent demise …—
Ira Konigsberg
—now also used of a principal character who is femaleIra Konigsberg… action movies with female heroes are emerging more frequently, and with increasing quality.—William Bibbiani
William Bibbiani
b
: the central figure in an event, period, or movement
3
: a legendary priestess of Aphrodite loved by Leander
Synonyms
Examples of hero in a Sentence
Noun (1)
A motto of his hero, Thomas Edison, is inscribed on a favorite sweatshirt : "To invent you need a good imagination and a pile of junk."
—Britt Robson, Mother Jones, May/June 2008
Greater authors—Arthur Conan Doyle most notably—have been in the same dilemma when seeking closure. And, like Conan Doyle, Rowling has won imperishable renown for giving us an identifiable hero and a fine caricature of a villain, and for making a fictional bit of King's Cross station as luminous as a certain address on nearby Baker Street.
—Christopher Hitchens, New York Times Book Review, 12 Aug. 2007
Here's a novel by a decorated war hero with a fictional Middle Eastern desert war at its core. It pits an American-led coalition against a potentially lethal enemy …
—Lorenzo Carcaterra, People, 3 June 1991
Other physicists, long wedded to the notion that nothing can escape from a black hole, have generally come to accept that discovery. And the stuff emitted from little black holes (and big ones too, but far more slowly) is now called Hawking radiation. "In general relativity and early cosmology, Hawking is the hero," says Rocky Kolb, a physicist at Fermilab in Illinois.
—Leon Jaroff, Time, 8 Feb. 1988
He returned from the war a national hero.
the hero of a rescue
She was a hero for standing up to the government.
His father has always been his hero.
He has always been a hero to his son.
Britt Robson, Mother Jones, May/June 2008
Greater authors—Arthur Conan Doyle most notably—have been in the same dilemma when seeking closure. And, like Conan Doyle, Rowling has won imperishable renown for giving us an identifiable hero and a fine caricature of a villain, and for making a fictional bit of King's Cross station as luminous as a certain address on nearby Baker Street.
—Christopher Hitchens, New York Times Book Review, 12 Aug. 2007
Here's a novel by a decorated war hero with a fictional Middle Eastern desert war at its core. It pits an American-led coalition against a potentially lethal enemy …
—Lorenzo Carcaterra, People, 3 June 1991
Other physicists, long wedded to the notion that nothing can escape from a black hole, have generally come to accept that discovery. And the stuff emitted from little black holes (and big ones too, but far more slowly) is now called Hawking radiation. "In general relativity and early cosmology, Hawking is the hero," says Rocky Kolb, a physicist at Fermilab in Illinois.
—Leon Jaroff, Time, 8 Feb. 1988
He returned from the war a national hero.
the hero of a rescue
She was a hero for standing up to the government.
His father has always been his hero.
He has always been a hero to his son.
Recent Examples on the WebAnthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 12 Apr. 2024
That work of drama vastly exaggerated the heroes and villains of the trial and the town.
—Lisa Grunwald, TIME, 12 Apr. 2024
When a hero is called to action, their cat gets left behind on the couch.
—James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Apr. 2024
Another hard truth is that whistleblowers are treated less often as heroes and more as troublemakers.
—Karla Miller, Washington Post, 11 Apr. 2024
Even with that performance, those visuals, and that sense of humor, there are occasions — particularly in the finale, which largely takes place at the reeducation camp — where The Sympathizer, like its hero, gets too lost in its own head.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 10 Apr. 2024
Last season, Chiefs teammates often cited Danna as one of the team’s unsung heroes.
—Jesse Newell, Kansas City Star, 10 Apr. 2024
During these visits, the team engaged with the fighters, capturing behind-the-scenes promotional content that spotlighted the local heroes and the intense rivalries on the island.
—Sacramento Bee, 8 Apr. 2024
In most, Farley plays some version of himself, a mild-mannered, eccentric hero projecting varying degrees of menace.
—Brett Martin, New York Times, 31 Mar. 2024
Noun
The work showcased themes of heroism through the role heroes and gods played in the Trojan War, as well as themes of fate and the idea of humans can change their own destiny, the release added.
—Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY, 12 Apr. 2024
That work of drama vastly exaggerated the heroes and villains of the trial and the town.
—Lisa Grunwald, TIME, 12 Apr. 2024
When a hero is called to action, their cat gets left behind on the couch.
—James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Apr. 2024
Another hard truth is that whistleblowers are treated less often as heroes and more as troublemakers.
—Karla Miller, Washington Post, 11 Apr. 2024
Even with that performance, those visuals, and that sense of humor, there are occasions — particularly in the finale, which largely takes place at the reeducation camp — where The Sympathizer, like its hero, gets too lost in its own head.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 10 Apr. 2024
Last season, Chiefs teammates often cited Danna as one of the team’s unsung heroes.
—Jesse Newell, Kansas City Star, 10 Apr. 2024
During these visits, the team engaged with the fighters, capturing behind-the-scenes promotional content that spotlighted the local heroes and the intense rivalries on the island.
—Sacramento Bee, 8 Apr. 2024
In most, Farley plays some version of himself, a mild-mannered, eccentric hero projecting varying degrees of menace.
—Brett Martin, New York Times, 31 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hero.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to hero
Dictionary Entries Near hero
Cite this Entry
“Hero.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hero. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
hero
noun
he·ro
ˈhē-rō 
ˈhi(ə)r-ō
plural heroes
1
a
: a mythological or legendary figure of great strength or ability
b
: an outstanding warrior or soldier
c
: a person admired for achievements and qualities
d
: one that shows great courage
the hero of a rescue
2
: the principal character in a literary or dramatic work
—used specifically of a principal male character especially when contrasted with heroine; now also used of a principal character who is female
3
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share