heroic
heroic — adjective
1. showing the kind of extreme courage that people admire, especially when you risk
showing the kind of extreme courage that people admire, especially when you risk your own safety to help others in a dangerous situation
Talia made a heroic rescue of the child from the burning house.
attributive: heroic + rescue
It was heroic of Hamza to dive into the river to save the drowning man.
predicative pattern: it + be + heroic + of + person
The firefighters were praised for the heroic rescue of a family trapped in the building.
Élise received an award for her heroic effort to protect the forest from the fire.
Minho's heroic decision to tell the truth changed how the court saw the case.
- brave
more general and everyday; not limited to life-threatening situations
- courageous
more formal than brave; suggests facing fear with moral strength
- daring
emphasizes willingness to take risks, sometimes recklessly
- valiant
more literary or old-fashioned; suggests noble effort in battle or struggle
文法句型
it + be + heroic + of + person + to-infinitive
heroic + noun (deed, act, rescue, effort)
用法筆記
Frequently used attributively before action nouns (rescue, deed, act, effort). The predicative pattern it is heroic of someone to do something is also common and emphasizes the person's moral courage.
常見錯誤
2. involving an extremely strong and determined attempt to succeed at something ver
involving an extremely strong and determined attempt to succeed at something very difficult, even when the situation seems hopeless
Ignacio made a heroic attempt to climb the mountain despite the bad weather.
collocation: heroic + attempt
Despite losing her job, Yasmin made a heroic effort to finish her degree.
collocation: heroic + effort
The climbers put up a heroic fight against the storm on the way down.
Tuan's heroic struggle to keep the small shop open inspired the neighborhood.
- determined
broader, less intense; can describe any firm intention
- dogged
suggests stubborn persistence even when success is unlikely
- valiant
overlaps with this sense; emphasizes effort against odds
- half-hearted
showing little effort or enthusiasm
文法句型
heroic + attempt
heroic + effort
heroic + struggle
用法筆記
Only used attributively before nouns like attempt, effort, struggle, fight. This sense is NOT used predicatively — a sentence like 'His attempt was heroic' would be interpreted as sense 1 (very brave), not as describing determination.
3. extremely large, powerful, or impressive when compared with what is usual or exp
extremely large, powerful, or impressive when compared with what is usual or expected, especially in size, scale, or effect
The new bridge was a project of heroic proportions that took ten years to build.
collocation: heroic proportions
Wren served a heroic portion of pasta that nobody could finish.
Luca struggled with the heroic amount of homework the teacher had assigned.
The team faced a renovation of heroic proportions that took two years to finish.
文法句型
heroic + proportions | scale | size | quantity
用法筆記
Often used in humorous or slightly ironic exaggeration, similar to enormous or massive. Common in the phrase of heroic proportions.
heroic — noun
1. a type of poetry written in a formal, elevated style where lines come in rhyming
a type of poetry written in a formal, elevated style where lines come in rhyming pairs of five-beat meter (iambic pentameter) and typically deal with themes of love, honor, and adventure
Mei-Lin and her classmates spent the term studying the rules of English heroic verse.
Christopher wrote his epic in heroic couplets, following the style of the 18th century.
collocation: heroic couplets
Professor Fischer opened a 17th-century text and read aloud, showing how heroic couplets create a rhythm suited to grand subjects.
The anthology includes both blank verse and heroic verse from the Romantic period.
- heroic verse
the more common full phrase for this concept
- epic poetry
broader category that includes long narrative poems about heroic deeds
文法句型
heroic + noun (verse, couplet, meter, poem)
用法筆記
A specialized literary term. The related phrases heroic couplet (a pair of rhyming iambic pentameter lines) and heroic verse (the metrical form itself) are more common in practice than the bare noun heroic.
常見錯誤
2. speech or behavior that is exaggerated, dramatic, or boastful, often in a way th
speech or behavior that is exaggerated, dramatic, or boastful, often in a way that seems insincere or attention-seeking
Marco's heroics during the meeting made his coworkers roll their eyes.
negative connotation: ironic/dismissive
The audience tired of the speaker's heroics and wished he would state the facts.
The critics dismissed the film as full of empty heroics and little real emotion.
The review called the actor's performance pure heroics with no real feeling behind it.
- bravado
more specifically about false courage or swagger
- grandstanding
focuses on behavior meant to impress an audience
- modesty
the quality of not showing off one's abilities or achievements
文法句型
heroic + of + noun phrase
用法筆記
Almost always carries a negative or disapproving tone. This sense is distinct from sense 3 (noble behavior) — context is key: if the speaker sounds critical, the meaning is sense 2, not sense 3.
常見錯誤
3. action or behavior that is extremely brave, noble, or self-sacrificing, especial
action or behavior that is extremely brave, noble, or self-sacrificing, especially when done to help others at personal risk
The mayor gave a speech praising the community's heroism during the flood.
noun: heroism for brave collective action
The village remembered Luca's heroism for years after the accident.
Stories of the rescuers' heroism spread quickly across the country.
The newspaper article described the teacher's heroism in saving the students from the fire.
- cowardice
lack of courage in the face of danger
文法句型
heroic + verb
acts of heroic
用法筆記
This noun sense is less common than the adjective. In everyday English, heroism or the plural noun heroics are more frequently used for brave actions. Distinguish from sense 2 (boastful behavior) by tone: sense 3 is admiring, sense 2 is critical.
4. a strong and determined effort to continue or succeed, especially when facing se
a strong and determined effort to continue or succeed, especially when facing serious difficulty or opposition
The candidate's heroic effort was not enough to win the election, but it earned everyone's respect.
collocation: heroic effort
Despite the team's heroic effort, they lost the final match by a single point.
The students showed true heroism in completing the project with no funding.
The charity recognized the nurses' heroic effort in working through the night to treat the injured.
- determination
broader; not limited to difficult situations
- persistence
focuses on continuing despite obstacles
- grit
informal; emphasizes courage and resolve
- surrender
giving up or yielding to difficulty
文法句型
despite + possessive + heroic
possessive + heroic + verb
heroic + of + noun
用法筆記
Often used in contexts where the effort did not succeed but is still admired. The plural form heroics is frequently used with this meaning as well.