Hero — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun /ˈhir-(ˌ)ō/ he·ro

Meaning & Definition of Hero

Hero (noun)

  1. a mythological or legendary figure often of divine descent endowed with great strength or ability
  2. an illustrious warrior or soldier
  3. a person who shows great courage
  4. a legendary priestess of Aphrodite loved by Leander

Hero (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a person who is the object of extreme or uncritical devotion

    "fans of the sports hero didn't care what the facts were—in their minds, he was innocent of all criminal charges"

    similar: god, icon, idol
    related: beau ideal, classic, exemplar, ideal, model, nonpareil, paragon

  2. a large sandwich on a long split roll

    "shared a foot-long meatball hero with his friend"

    similar: Cuban sandwich, grinder, hoagie, Italian sandwich, po'boy, sub, submarine, torpedo

Related Entry: Submarine (noun)

Submarine is a different word from Hero. The synonyms below are for submarine, not for hero.

  1. a large sandwich on a long split roll

    "always orders a roast beef submarine with the works"

    similar: Cuban sandwich, grinder, hero, hoagie, Italian sandwich, po'boy, sub, torpedo

Related Entry: Hero-worship (verb)

Hero-worship is a different word from Hero. The synonyms below are for hero-worship, not for hero.

  1. to love or admire too much

    "people who hero-worship celebrities are setting themselves up for disappointment"

    similar: adore, adulate, canonize, deify, dote (on), idolize, worship
    related: appreciate, cherish, esteem, prize, treasure, value, fancy, favor, like, prefer, regard, hallow, respect, revere, venerate, approve, endorse, support
    near: abhor, abominate, despise, detest, disdain, dislike, hate, loathe, belittle, deprecate, disparage, misprize, put down

  2. to praise too much

    "a golfing pro who is hero-worshipped by hordes of weekend duffers"

    similar: adulate, belaud, blarney, butter up, flatter, honey, massage, overpraise, puff, soft-soap, stroke
    related: blandish, cajole, coax, sweet-talk, wheedle, fawn, kowtow, suck (up to), toady, idolize, worship, eulogize, extol, laud, praise, applaud, commend, compliment, congratulate, felicitate, drool, gush, slaver, slobber, endear, ingratiate, court, romance, woo
    near: bad-mouth, belittle, decry, depreciate, disparage, put down

Related Entry: Hero worship (noun)

Hero worship is a different word from Hero. The synonyms below are for hero worship, not for hero.

  1. excessive admiration of or devotion to a person

    "once the object of uncritical hero worship, the aging quarterback now faces the derision of his team's fickle fans"

    similar: adulation, deification, idolatry, idolization, worship, worshipping
    related: adoration, deference, glorification, reverence, veneration, idealization, romanticization, affection, fancy, favor, fondness, like, liking, love, appreciation, esteem, regard, respect, approval
    near: condemnation, disapproval, disfavor, dislike, dismissal, disregard, hatred, loathing, scorn

Related Entry: Hero-worshipped (verb)

Hero-worshipped is a different word from Hero. The synonyms below are for hero-worshipped, not for hero.

  1. to love or admire too much

    "people who hero-worship celebrities are setting themselves up for disappointment"

    similar: adored, adulated, canonized, deified, doted (on), idolized, worshipped
    related: appreciated, cherished, esteemed, prized, treasured, valued, fancied, favored, liked, preferred, regarded, hallowed, respected, revered, venerated, approved, endorsed, supported
    near: abhorred, abominated, despised, detested, disdained, disliked, hated, loathed, belittled, deprecated, disparaged, misprized, put down

  2. to praise too much

    "a golfing pro who is hero-worshipped by hordes of weekend duffers"

    similar: adulated, belauded, blarneyed, buttered up, flattered, honeyed, massaged, overpraised, puffed, soft-soaped, stroked
    related: blandished, cajoled, coaxed, sweet-talked, wheedled, fawned, kowtowed, sucked (up to), toadied, idolized, worshipped, eulogized, extolled, lauded, praised, applauded, commended, complimented, congratulated, felicitated, drooled, gushed, slavered, slobbered, endeared, ingratiated, courted, romanced, wooed
    near: bad-mouthed, belittled, decried, depreciated, disparaged, put down

Related Entry: Hero worships (noun)

Hero worships is a different word from Hero. The synonyms below are for hero worships, not for hero.

  1. excessive admiration of or devotion to a person

    "once the object of uncritical hero worship, the aging quarterback now faces the derision of his team's fickle fans"

    similar: adulations, deifications, idolatries, idolizations, worships
    related: adorations, deferences, glorifications, reverences, venerations, idealizations, romanticizations, affections, fancies, favors, likes, likings, loves, appreciations, esteems, regards, respects, approvals
    near: condemnations, disapprovals, disfavors, dislikes, dismissals, disregards, hatreds, loathings, scorns

Related Entry: Hero-worships (verb)

Hero-worships is a different word from Hero. The synonyms below are for hero-worships, not for hero.

  1. to love or admire too much

    "people who hero-worship celebrities are setting themselves up for disappointment"

    similar: adores, adulates, canonizes, deifies, dotes (on), idolizes, worships
    related: appreciates, cherishes, esteems, prizes, treasures, values, fancies, favors, likes, prefers, regards, hallows, respects, reveres, venerates, approves, endorses, supports
    near: abhors, abominates, despises, detests, disdains, dislikes, hates, loathes, belittles, deprecates, disparages, misprizes, puts down

  2. to praise too much

    "a golfing pro who is hero-worshipped by hordes of weekend duffers"

    similar: adulates, belauds, blarneys, butters up, flatters, honeys, massages, overpraises, puffs, soft-soaps, strokes
    related: blandishes, cajoles, coaxes, sweet-talks, wheedles, fawns, kowtows, sucks (up to), toadies, idolizes, worships, eulogizes, extols, lauds, praises, applauds, commends, compliments, congratulates, felicitates, drools, gushes, slavers, slobbers, endears, ingratiates, courts, romances, woos
    near: bad-mouths, belittles, decries, depreciates, disparages, puts down

Related Entry: Hero-worshipping (verb)

Hero-worshipping is a different word from Hero. The synonyms below are for hero-worshipping, not for hero.

  1. to love or admire too much

    "people who hero-worship celebrities are setting themselves up for disappointment"

    similar: adoring, adulating, canonizing, deifying, doting (on), idolizing, worshipping
    related: appreciating, cherishing, esteeming, prizing, treasuring, valuing, fancying, favoring, liking, preferring, regarding, hallowing, respecting, revering, venerating, approving, endorsing, supporting
    near: abhorring, abominating, despising, detesting, disdaining, disliking, hating, loathing, belittling, deprecating, disparaging, misprizing, putting down

  2. to praise too much

    "a golfing pro who is hero-worshipped by hordes of weekend duffers"

    similar: adulating, belauding, blarneying, buttering up, flattering, honeying, massaging, overpraising, puffing, soft-soaping, stroking
    related: blandishing, cajoling, coaxing, sweet-talking, wheedling, fawning, kowtowing, sucking (up to), toadying, idolizing, worshipping, eulogizing, extolling, lauding, praising, applauding, commending, complimenting, congratulating, felicitating, drooling, gushing, slavering, slobbering, endearing, ingratiating, courting, romancing, wooing
    near: bad-mouthing, belittling, decrying, depreciating, disparaging, putting down

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Hero

The most common words with a similar meaning to Hero:

god, icon, idol, Cuban sandwich, grinder, hoagie, Italian sandwich, po'boy, sub, submarine, torpedo

Related Words for Hero

beau ideal, classic, exemplar, ideal, model, nonpareil, paragon

Word Forms of Hero

Inflections: heroes, heros

Origin & Etymology of Hero

Latin heros, from Greek hērōs

First known use: circa 1522

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Hero

Words & Phrases Containing Hero

hero's welcome, hero-worship, hero worship, hero sandwich, unsung hero, folk hero

Frequently Asked Questions about Hero

What does "Hero" mean?

"Hero" means a mythological or legendary figure often of divine descent endowed with great strength or ability. As a noun, it is defined as: a mythological or legendary figure often of divine descent endowed with great strength or ability. It has 2 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Hero"?

Other words for "Hero" include god, icon, idol, Cuban sandwich, grinder, hoagie, Italian sandwich and po'boy. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Hero" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Hero"?

There are 18 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Hero". Common alternatives include god, icon, idol, Cuban sandwich, grinder, hoagie, Italian sandwich, po'boy, sub and submarine.

How do you use "Hero" in a sentence?

Examples of "Hero" in a sentence: "fans of the sports hero didn't care what the facts were—in their minds, he was innocent of all criminal charges"; "shared a foot-long meatball hero with his friend".

Is "Hero" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Hero" is a noun.

Is "Hero" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A2-level word, "Hero" is typical of Cambridge A2 Key (KET), PTE Academic 30–42, TOEIC Listening & Reading 225+.

How do you pronounce "Hero"?

"Hero" is pronounced /ˈhir-(ˌ)ō/ and divided into syllables as he·ro.

What is the origin of the word "Hero"?

"Hero" comes from Latin heros, from Greek hērōs. First known use: circa 1522.