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heroics

When you act brave in an overly showy way, that's heroics. Sailing your little boat out into a raging storm just so you can brag about it later? Clearly nothing but heroics.

Heroics is used to mean both true heroism and a bravado that often involves dangerous or ridiculous actions. Use it in the first way for real bravery, like the heroics of a firefighter rescuing someone from a burning house or an emergency room doctor who saves a patient with a serious injury. Used in the second way, this word describes false or showy bravery and can even describe someone's speech: "He bragged about his success on the soccer field, but it was all just heroics."

Definitions of heroics
  1. noun
    ostentatious or vainglorious or extravagant or melodramatic conduct
    heroics are for those epic films they make in Hollywood”
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    type of:
    acting, performing, playacting, playing
    the performance of a part or role in a drama
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DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘heroics'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
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