Meaning & use

antihero

noun·Academic

A central character in a story who lacks traditional heroic qualities such as courage or morality.

See it in a sentence

The gritty detective is an antihero who bends the law to get results.

Many modern films feature an antihero instead of a purely good protagonist.

A note on using this word

An antihero is not the same as a villain; the story still centers on this character sympathetically despite their flaws.

Words with a similar meaning

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Words with an opposite meaning

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