epic
epic — adjective
1. Written or performed in a grand, heroic style that resembles ancient epic poems
Written or performed in a grand, heroic style that resembles ancient epic poems — long narrative works that tell the story of legendary heroes, great battles, or the origins of a nation.
Homer's Iliad is an epic poem that tells the story of the Trojan War.
collocation: epic poem
The film tells an epic tale of a Viking king's quest across the frozen sea.
collocation: epic tale
Milton's Paradise Lost recounts Adam and Eve's fall in an epic style spanning heaven and hell.
Anong's epic novel follows three generations of a samurai family in feudal Japan.
- mundane
Ordinary or everyday, the opposite of grand storytelling.
文法句型
epic + noun
用法筆記
Frequently paired with nouns like 'poem', 'novel', 'film', or 'tale' to describe works that adopt a grand, elevated narrative style.
常見錯誤
2. Describing an experience or activity that takes a very long time and demands gre
Describing an experience or activity that takes a very long time and demands great physical or mental effort — for example, a journey across a desert that lasts months, or a rescue mission carried out in dangerous conditions.
The team made an epic journey across the desert that lasted nearly three months.
collocation: epic journey
Moving the entire library to a new building turned out to be an epic task.
Roya's search for her family's roots became an epic project that took years to complete.
The climbers faced an epic struggle against freezing winds and low oxygen on the mountain.
- monumental
Emphasises importance and scale; slightly more formal than 'epic'.
- heroic
Focuses on bravery and effort; 'epic' also stresses length and scope.
- brief
Short in duration, the opposite of a long, drawn-out experience.
文法句型
epic + noun
用法筆記
Typically used with nouns describing journeys, tasks, struggles, or efforts that push the limits of human endurance.
常見錯誤
3. Extremely large in size, amount, or degree — used informally to exaggerate the s
Extremely large in size, amount, or degree — used informally to exaggerate the scale of something, such as a traffic jam that stretches for miles or a profit that far exceeds expectations.
A burst water main caused an epic traffic jam that stretched for ten miles.
The tech company reported an epic profit of over two billion dollars this quarter.
collocation: epic profit
Kemi ordered an epic amount of food for the party — enough to feed fifty people.
An epic blizzard dumped two metres of snow across the entire town.
- tiny
Extremely small, the opposite of 'epic' in scale.
文法句型
epic + noun
be + epic
用法筆記
Informal; used mainly in everyday speech and casual writing. Avoid in formal or academic contexts.
常見錯誤
4. Extremely good, impressive, or enjoyable — used informally to express strong app
Extremely good, impressive, or enjoyable — used informally to express strong approval, for example about a concert, a meal, or a holiday.
The concert was epic — the crowd sang along to every single song.
predicative use: be + epic
Brooke baked an epic chocolate cake that disappeared in five minutes.
We had an epic time surfing at the beach during the summer break.
Tuan said the new video game is epic and that I should try it tonight.
The sunrise from the mountain hut was epic — the whole valley turned pink and gold below us.
- terrible
Extremely bad, the opposite of 'epic' approval.
文法句型
be + epic
epic + noun
用法筆記
Very common in informal spoken English, especially among younger speakers. Avoid in formal or academic writing.
常見錯誤
epic — noun
1. A long film, book, or poem that tells a story of heroic deeds or important histo
A long film, book, or poem that tells a story of heroic deeds or important historical events, often covering many years and featuring a large cast of characters.
Homer's Odyssey is an ancient Greek epic about a hero's long journey home.
pattern: epic + about + noun
The director spent five years on a three-hour epic about the fall of Rome.
collocation: three-hour epic
Yuki recommended a Chinese historical epic that covers four generations of the same family.
The novel is a sweeping family epic set in Korea during the early twentieth century.
Antonia studied Beowulf, the oldest surviving epic written in Old English.
文法句型
a/an + epic
epic + about + noun
用法筆記
When referring to films, 'epic' often implies a long running time (over two hours) and large-scale production values.