hero

hero — noun

1. A person who does an unusually brave act or reaches a remarkable goal, earning t

1.nounA2
Definition

A person who does an unusually brave act or reaches a remarkable goal, earning the admiration of others — for instance, a firefighter who pulls people from a burning building, or an activist who stands up for what is right.

Example

The firefighter who ran into the burning building was hailed as a hero.

hailed as a hero — common collocation

The soldier received a medal for bravery and was treated like a hero when he returned home.

Common collocations
  • hail someone as a hero
  • make a hero of someone
  • die a hero
  • unsung hero
  • action hero
Synonyms
  • champion

    focuses on fighting for a cause or defeating opponents, often in sports or social movements

  • brave person

    literal and less formal; lacks the admiration component of 'hero'

Antonyms
  • coward

    a person who lacks the courage to do what is right or necessary

  • villain

    a person who does evil or harmful things, opposite in moral standing

Usage Note

Frequently paired with 'hailed as', 'treated like', or 'made into'. The feminine form 'heroine' exists but is less common in modern use.

Common Mistakes

He became a hero celebrity after the rescue.
He became a hero after the rescue.
'hero' already implies admiration; adding 'celebrity' is redundant and shifts the meaning to fame rather than bravery.
She is a hero for being a movie star.
She is her fans' hero because of her charity work.
'hero' implies brave or noble actions, not just fame.

2. The character at the heart of a story, movie, play, or game — often but not alwa

2.nounB1
Definition

The character at the heart of a story, movie, play, or game — often but not always male — who typically fights for good and must overcome difficult obstacles.

Example

The hero of the novel discovers a hidden world behind a bookshelf in his grandmother's attic.

the hero of [story] — identifies the main character

Quinn plays the hero in the school play — a young prince who must save his kingdom from an evil sorcerer.

Common collocations
  • hero of the story
  • action hero
  • tragic hero
  • hero's journey
  • reluctant hero
Synonyms
  • protagonist

    more formal and technical; can refer to any main character regardless of moral alignment

  • lead character

    less formal and more general; does not imply goodness

Antonyms
  • villain

    the evil character who opposes the hero in a story

  • antagonist

    the character who works against the protagonist, not necessarily evil

Usage Note

Traditionally refers to a male protagonist; the feminine form 'heroine' is used for female main characters, though 'hero' is increasingly used for any gender. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense is about fictional characters, not real people.

Common Mistakes

The book has two heros.
The book has two heroes.
the plural of 'hero' is 'heroes', not 'heros'.

3. Someone you respect greatly because of an ability or personal trait they possess

3.nounA2
Definition

Someone you respect greatly because of an ability or personal trait they possess, and whose example you try to follow — such as a favourite athlete, musician, or teacher who inspires you.

Example

Mizuki has always been my hero because of her patience and willingness to help others.

my hero — used for personal role models

For many young players on the team, Coach Ayesha is a hero both on and off the court.

Common collocations
  • my hero
  • personal hero
  • childhood hero
  • hero to millions
  • sports hero
Synonyms
  • idol

    stronger admiration, often suggesting the person is seen as perfect; common in fan culture

  • role model

    focuses on the person's behaviour as something to copy; more about guidance than brave deeds

Usage Note

Often used with a possessive adjective ('my hero', 'her hero', 'their hero') or the pattern 'a hero to [group]'. The focus is on personal admiration rather than brave actions (contrast with sense 1).

4. A type of sandwich that uses a firm, elongated bread roll sliced lengthwise and

4.nounB1
Definition

A type of sandwich that uses a firm, elongated bread roll sliced lengthwise and stuffed with cold cuts, cheese, and vegetables. Known by various regional names across the US such as sub, hoagie, or grinder.

Example

I stopped at the deli and ordered a hero with ham, cheese, lettuce, and tomato.

regional US usage — 'hero' for a long sandwich

Élise packed two heroes for the road trip — one with turkey and one with roasted vegetables.

Common collocations
  • Italian hero
  • turkey hero
  • meatball hero
  • order a hero
  • hero sandwich
Synonyms
  • sub

    short for 'submarine sandwich'; the most widespread US equivalent

  • hoagie

    regional term used mainly in the Philadelphia area

Usage Note

Chiefly US informal. Not used in British English, where 'hero' does not refer to food. Regional synonyms vary: 'sub' (common in much of the US), 'hoagie' (Philadelphia), 'grinder' (New England), 'torpedo' (parts of the Northeast).

Common Mistakes

I bought a hero for lunch.' (in the UK)
I bought a sandwich for lunch.' (in the UK)
the food sense of 'hero' is not understood in British English.

5. In ancient myths and legends, a figure born from a god and a mortal, or a person

5.nounB2
Definition

In ancient myths and legends, a figure born from a god and a mortal, or a person of superhuman strength and courage who performs incredible feats — such as Hercules, Achilles, or Gilgamesh.

Example

In Greek mythology, the hero Hercules completed twelve impossible tasks as punishment for his past actions.

Greek mythology context — classical hero

Ancient stories about heroes like Achilles and Odysseus taught people lessons about courage, honor, and pride.

Common collocations
  • mythological hero
  • classical hero
  • Greek hero
  • epic hero
  • folk hero
Synonyms
  • demigod

    more specific: a being who is half-god, half-human; most classical heroes are demigods

  • mythic warrior

    describes the heroic fighter role without implying divine parentage

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 1: this sense refers specifically to classical mythological figures of divine or semi-divine origin, not real people who do brave things. Common in academic discussions of literature and mythology.

Common Mistakes

Hercules was a real hero who lived in Greece.
Hercules is a mythological hero from Greek legend.
mythological heroes are not historical figures.
Idioms

Hero of Alexandria

idiom

A Greek mathematician, physicist, and engineer who lived around the 1st century AD, also known as Heron of Alexandria. He invented the first known steam engine (the aeolipile) and wrote works on mechanics, pneumatics, and geometry.

Hero of Alexandria designed a steam-powered device called the aeolipile, long before the Industrial Revolution.

Many of Hero of Alexandria's writings on geometry were used as textbooks for centuries.

Word family

  • heroic
    adjectiveB1
  • heroine
    nounB1
  • heroism
    nounB2
  • heroics
    nounC1
  • heroically
    adverbB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Hero most strongly emphasises courage and noble action — a hero does something brave or selfless that makes others admire them. Champion overlaps with hero when describing someone who fights for a cause or defeats opponents, but champion is more tied to winning or advocating (a champion of human rights), whereas hero focuses on the act itself. Idol carries a stronger emotional tone of worship or perfection — fans idolise a pop star, but that person may not be a hero in the brave-action sense. Role model is about behaviour worth copying: a teacher can be a role model without ever doing anything heroic. Protagonist is a technical literary term for the main character of a story and has no moral or courageous component. Example: 'Martin Luther King Jr. was both a hero (for his brave stand against injustice) and a role model (for his method of nonviolent protest). A fictional protagonist like Hamlet is a hero in the literary sense, but not necessarily a courageous one.'

hero ↗champion ↗idol ↗role modelprotagonist ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • hero to millions
  • hero of the story
  • make a hero out of

Prepositions

Etymology

GreekLatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'hero' comes from ancient Greek 'hērōs' (ἥρως), which originally meant a demigod — a person born from a god and a mortal, with superhuman powers. In Homer's epics it referred to the great warriors of the Trojan War. Latin borrowed it as 'hērōs', then Old French turned it into 'heroes', and Middle English brought it into English by the 14th century. The meaning gradually expanded from mythological warrior to any person of great courage, and later to the main character of any story.