Macmillan Dictionary

Did you know?

Click any word in a definition or example to find the entry for that word

hero

 - definition
 
 
Close

What are red words?

90% of the time, speakers of English use just 7,500 words in speech and writing. These words appear in red, and are graded with stars. One-star words are frequent, two-star words are more frequent, and three-star words are the most frequent.

Close

Thesaurus

The thesaurus of synonyms and related words is fully integrated into the dictionary entries. Click on the T button in an entry to review the synonyms and related words for that meaning.

more
noun [countable] British English pronunciation: hero /ˈhɪərəʊ/ 
Word Forms
Close
singularhero
pluralheroes
Other entries for this word
  1. 1
    someone who has done something brave, for example saving a person's life or risking their own life

    a war hero

    The sisters were treated as local heroes after rescuing a two-year-old boy from drowning.

    unsung hero (=a hero who has not been praised or recognized):

    He was one of life's unsung heroes.

    Thesaurus entry for this meaning of hero
    1. a.
      someone who you admire for their intelligence, abilities, or personal qualities

      Elvis has been my hero since I was a little boy.

      Thesaurus entry for this meaning of hero
    See also  folk hero

This is the British English definition of hero. View American English definition of hero.

Change your default dictionary and thesaurus to American English.

 

charticle

a news article that consists of a chart … and only has a small amount of text

BuzzWord Article

Word of the Day

neutron

the part of the nucleus of an atom that has no electrical charge

Open Dictionary

never event

an event that should never occur in a healthcare setting …

add a word

Blog

A must for anyone with an interest in the changing face of language. The Macmillan Dictionary blog explores English as it is spoken around the world today.

global English and language change from our blog