Meaning & use
hero
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Meanings
nouncountableapproving
A person who is greatly admired for bravery, strong character or important achievements.
Grammar: Countable, with plural heroes.
Patterns
- a hero to someone
- a hero of something
The firefighter became a hero after rescuing three children.
My grandmother is my hero.
Nurses were hailed as heroes during the crisis.
nouncountable
The main male character in a story, play or film, usually the one we are meant to support.
Grammar: The female form is heroine, though many now use hero for any gender.
Patterns
- the hero of something
The hero of the novel is a young sailor.
In the final scene the hero finally defeats the villain.
The film's hero is an ordinary teacher.
nouncountableinformal
A person who is given praise for a single helpful act or success.
Grammar: Often used playfully: the hero of the day.
Patterns
- the hero of the day
He was the hero of the match after scoring in the last minute.
You are a hero for bringing coffee.
She became the hero of the office by fixing the printer.
nouncountableAmericanregional
A long sandwich on a roll, popular in some parts of the United States.
Grammar: Regional American usage.
He ordered an Italian hero for lunch.
The deli's meatball hero is famous.
We shared a turkey hero at the park.
Word forms
| plural | heroes |
|---|
Common combinations
- national hero
- He was honored as a national hero.
- war hero
- The war hero received a medal.
- unsung hero
- The cook was the unsung hero of the event.
- local hero
- The lifeguard became a local hero.
- hero worship
- His hero worship of the singer embarrassed him.
- tragic hero
- Hamlet is often called a tragic hero.
Synonyms and how they differ
- champion
- Champion stresses someone who defends a cause or wins, while hero stresses courage or noble qualities.
- idol
- Idol suggests someone adored, often a celebrity, whereas hero suggests respect for deeds.
- protagonist
- Protagonist is the neutral literary term for the main character, with no suggestion of being admirable.
- role model
- Role model means someone to copy, which is narrower than hero.
Opposites
Word family
- heroine noun
- a woman admired for courage, or the main female character
- heroic adjective
- showing great bravery
- heroically adverb
- in a brave way
- heroism noun
- great courage
- antihero noun
- a main character lacking traditional heroic qualities
Commonly confused: hero or heroin?
hero vs heroin
Heroin is an addictive drug and is pronounced differently from heroine, the female hero.
Practice
The lifeguard dived in and saved a child from drowning. People called him a ______.
Choose one answer.
A hero is admired for brave deeds. A villain is the opposite, and a bystander or rival does not describe a rescuer.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “hero”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.