Meaning & use
superhero
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Meanings
nouncountable
A fictional character, often in comics or films, who has extraordinary powers and uses them to fight evil or help others.
Grammar: A superhero is a person, so you can say 'a superhero' and make it plural with 'superheroes'.
Patterns
- a superhero with something
- play a superhero
- become a superhero
Superman is one of the most famous superheroes in the world.
In the movie, a young girl discovers she has superpowers and becomes a superhero.
The comic book features a superhero who can control the weather.
nouncountableinformalapproving
Someone who does something very brave or helpful, especially when it is difficult.
Grammar: Used informally and admiringly, often in phrases like 'a real superhero' or 'be a superhero'.
Patterns
- a real superhero
- be a superhero to someone
- treat someone like a superhero
The nurses who worked during the crisis were treated like superheroes.
My neighbor helped me fix my car in the rain—what a superhero!
She's a superhero to her students because she never gives up on them.
Word forms
| plural | superheroes |
|---|
Common combinations
- superhero movie
- The latest superhero movie broke box office records.
- superhero costume
- He wore a superhero costume to the party.
- superhero powers
- The character's superhero powers include flying and super strength.
- superhero comic
- She collects vintage superhero comics from the 1960s.
- superhero franchise
- The studio plans to expand its superhero franchise with new characters.
Synonyms and how they differ
- hero
- Hero is a more general word for any brave or admirable person, while superhero usually implies special powers or a comic-book origin.
- champion
- Champion can mean a defender of a cause, but it does not suggest superhuman abilities like superhero does.
- savior
- Savior is a stronger, often religious word for someone who rescues others; superhero is more playful or fictional.
Opposites
Word family
- superheroine noun
- A female superhero.
- superpower noun
- An extraordinary ability, especially one a superhero has.
- superhuman adjective
- Having abilities greater than those of a normal person.
Commonly confused: superhero or superwoman?
superhero vs superwoman
Superwoman is sometimes used for a woman who manages many tasks impressively, but it is not a fictional character with powers like a superhero.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'superhero' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Option 0 uses 'superhero' as a countable noun meaning a fictional character with powers. Option 1 is ungrammatical because 'superhero' is not an adjective. Option 2 wrongly uses it as a verb. Option 3 uses the wrong preposition; you would say 'the hero of the victory'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “superhero”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.