hero

1 of 2

noun (1)

he·​ro ˈhir-(ˌ)ō How to pronounce hero (audio)
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 female
… action movies with female heroes are emerging more frequently, and with increasing quality.William Bibbiani
b
: the central figure in an event, period, or movement
3
plural usually heros : submarine entry 2 sense 2
4
: an object of extreme admiration and devotion : idol

Hero

2 of 2

noun (2)

: a legendary priestess of Aphrodite loved by Leander

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.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Normally in coming of age, the hero finds his place in the world, which is beneficial for him. John Hopewell, Variety, 19 Mar. 2024 Guides will share the epic comeback story of a majestic animal that was nearly driven to extinction and tell you about the heroes who helped save them. Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 19 Mar. 2024 Byron famously became an artistic hero during the Cold War when he was chosen to perform at the 1960 Cultural Exchange between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, later touring the latter nation in 1962. Sadie Bell, Peoplemag, 18 Mar. 2024 This award has been won by so many heroes of mine, like James Earl Jones, Michael K. Williams and Laurence Fishburne. Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 18 Mar. 2024 Community hero Amrita Vu, the lead therapist at Los Gatos High School, recently received Santa Clara County’s 2024 Behavioral Health Community Heroes Award. Isha Trivedi, The Mercury News, 17 Mar. 2024 For a hero buy, consider Loewe’s new Pebble style, which comes in suede and leather or Miu Miu’s drawstring canvas pouch—the ultimate summer companion. Madeline Fass, Vogue, 15 Mar. 2024 Bazille had by now befriended his hero, so his decision to highlight the peonies was a kind of homage. Washington Post, 7 Mar. 2024 My hero’s journey has a lot to do with the reclamation of pink, wielding it as a means of access to the comforts of sisterhood and as an armor, which allows my artistic practice to drift and maneuver across genres. Michael Slenske, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 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.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Latin heros, from Greek hērōs

Noun (2)

Latin, from Greek Hērō

First Known Use

Noun (1)

circa 1522, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hero was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near hero

Cite this Entry

“Hero.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hero. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

hero

noun
he·​ro ˈhē-rō How to pronounce hero (audio)
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
plural heros : submarine entry 2 sense 2

Biographical Definition

Hero

biographical name

He·​ro ˈhē-(ˌ)rō How to pronounce Hero (audio)
ˈhir-(ˌ)ō
variants or Heron
1st century a.d. Greek scientist

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