hero

/ˈhiroʊ/

/ˈhɪərəʊ/

Other forms: heroes; heros

Yes, a hero is a kind of sandwich. But when David Bowie sings, “We can be heroes,” he’s not talking about sandwiches. He’s talking about the more popular kind of hero — the kind who saves your life!

A hero is someone who does fantastic things that people love. The guy who rescues a skater from a frozen pond is a hero. A hero can be the main character of a story, too, if people root for him. Spiderman is the hero of the comic series: he's the central character, but he also saves people. The word hero goes back to the Greek, referring to a demigod.

Definitions of hero

1. noun

   someone who fights for a cause
   synonyms: champion, fighter, paladin

   type of:

   defender, guardian, protector, shielder

   a person who cares for persons or property
2. noun

   a person distinguished by exceptional courage and nobility and strength
   “RAF pilots were the heroes of the Battle of Britain”

   examples:

   Arminius

   German hero; leader at the battle of Teutoburger Wald in AD 9 (circa 18 BC - AD 19)

   Job

   a Jewish hero in the Old Testament who maintained his faith in God in spite of afflictions that tested him

   type of:

   leader

   a person who rules or guides or inspires others
3. noun

   (classical mythology) a being of great strength and courage celebrated for bold exploits; often the offspring of a mortal and a god
   type of:

   mythical being

   an imaginary being of myth or fable
4. noun

   the principal character in a play or movie or novel or poem
   type of:

   character, part, persona, role, theatrical role

   an actor's portrayal of someone in a play, film, etc...
5. noun

   a large sandwich made of a long crusty roll split lengthwise and filled with meats and cheese (and tomato and onion and lettuce and condiments); different names are used in different sections of the United States
   synonyms: Cuban sandwich, Italian sandwich, bomber, grinder, hero sandwich, hoagie, hoagy, poor boy, sub, submarine, submarine sandwich, torpedo, wedge, zep

   type of:

   sandwich

   two (or more) slices of bread with a filling between them