herohe‧ro /ˈhɪərəʊ $ ˈhɪroʊ/ ●●● W3 noun (plural heroes) [countable] 
He had dared to speak out against injustice, and overnight he became a national hero. His father was a war hero, a former fighter pilot. the unsung heroes who drove convoys of aid to Bosniahero of a hero of the Great War A man hailed as a hero for 50 years has been unmasked as a traitor.2the man or boy who is the main character in a book, film, play etchero of Phileas Fogg, hero of Jules Verne’s ‘Around the World in Eighty Days’3a man who is admired very much for a particular skill or qualitysomebody’s hero When I was small, Uncle Fred was my hero.hero of Einstein is the hero of those who explore science at its deepest level.4American English a long thin sandwich filled with meat, cheese etc5from hero to zero informal used to say that someone goes from being very successful or admired to being very unsuccessful or unpopularCOLLOCATIONS– Meanings 1 & 3ADJECTIVES/NOUN + heroa real/true hero· The real heroes were the guys who fought in the front lines.a great hero· He finally got to meet his great hero, the Brazilian footballer, Pele.a national hero· They regard Aung San as a national hero and martyr.a local hero· Richards was a local hero, a star of the football club.a popular hero (=someone whom many people admire)· Ross was an arctic explorer and popular hero.a cult hero (=someone who a particular group of people admire)· He became a cult hero among surfers.a war hero (=a soldier who was very brave in a war)· Coming home, he was hailed as a war hero.an unsung hero (=someone whose bravery or effort is not noticed or recognized)· These volunteers are the unsung heroes of the campaign.an unlikely hero (=someone who you did not expect to be brave or did not expect to admire)· Baxter was the unlikely hero of the game.a sporting hero (=someone who people admire in a sport)· Tiger Woods was his sporting hero.a folk hero (=an ordinary person who does something brave and becomes a hero in a particular place)· Cesar Chavez has folk hero status in the Latino community.an accidental hero (=someone who becomes a hero by chance)· He became an accidental hero after discovering the injured child while out walking.a conquering hero (=someone who has defeated someone else)· Team members were greeted like conquering heroes on their return.somebody’s boyhood/childhood hero (=someone who was your hero when you were a boy/child)· McEnroe had been one of his boyhood heroes.verbsbecome a hero· He became a national hero for his part in the war.be hailed (as) a hero (=people say you are a hero)· He was hailed a hero after saving the young girl’s life.phrasesget/be given a hero’s welcome (=be treated as a hero when you arrive somewhere)· The team were given a hero’s welcome when they returned to the city.
WORD ORIGINhero
Origin:
1500-1600 Latin heros, from GreekEXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Conway returned home, hailed as a hero of the war.
- Hamlet is Shakespeare's most famous tragic hero.
- In cinema, the hero always got the girl and the bad guy was always punished.
- Indiana Jones is the hero of the film.
- Shakespeare's best-known tragic hero is probably Hamlet.
- sports heroes
- The hero of the story is a young soldier.
- Who was the hero of "The Catcher in the Rye"?
- Because Masten was his hero, he was a little nervous.
- Defense attorney Ana Ortiz, who referred to her client as Billyjack, said he is a hero by any name.
- Here we have the concept of the maverick, the hero innovator, the streetwise entrepreneur, that several speakers have described.
- His legend, like the stories of most heroes, begins badly.
- It is counterproductive to be derogatory about hairstyle, clothing, or current countercultural heroes.
- One is that the shelf life of heroes is short.
- Racing drivers appear to be larger-than-life heroes.
Longman Language Activatorsomeone that you greatly admire
someone who you admire very much because of what they have done. Use hero about a man, use heroine about a woman: · I used to love David Bowie -- he was my hero.· baseball hero, Babe Ruth· Mother Teresa has always been one of my heroines.
a famous actor, actress, musician, or sports player that a lot of people admire: · The former President, once the idol of the nation, now leads a quiet life in the countryside.· Jones continues to be a major pop idol.
the people in a book a person in a story: · Her female characters often have strong, important relationships with other women.character from: · She reminds you of a character from Dickens.· Sisyphus, the character from Greek mythologymain character (=the most important one): · The main character is a soldier in the First World War.· He writes Westerns in which the main characters are gay.title character (=an important character whose name is mentioned in the title of the book): · King Henry is the name given to a donkey, the title character in the children's book, 'King Henry Saves Christmas'.fictional character (=not a real one): · Ancient literature uses fictional characters to illustrate moral dilemmas.
the most important man or woman in a book: · By the story's end, the heroine finds herself in the hero's arms, and all ends well.· 'Cinderella' is the story of a downtrodden heroine who wins out over her sisters. hero/heroine of: · Paul Morel is the hero of 'Sons and Lovers'.
not afraid when you are in a dangerous or frightening situation someone who is brave does not show that they are afraid in a frightening situation or when they have to do something dangerous, painful, or unpleasant: · You have to be very brave to be a fireman.· a brave rescue attempt· No matter how hard I tried to be brave and strong, I couldn't stop myself from crying.· I wasn't sure if I was being brave or stupid.it is brave of somebody to do something: · It was very brave of you to tell her the truth.be brave (=used to tell someone to behave bravely): · Come on, be brave. Just grit your teeth and it will all be over in no time.
especially written someone who is courageous behaves very bravely, often for a long period, and especially when they are fighting for something they believe in or suffering great pain: · After a courageous struggle against cancer, Garcia died at the age of thirty.· Few will forget her courageous stand against inequality and injustice.· But for the actions of a few courageous individuals, we might all have died.
extremely brave and admired by a lot of people: · Amy Johnson is famous for her heroic solo flight from Britain to Australia in 1930.· Although the nationalists put up heroic resistance, the revolt was crushed in three days.· The film is a warm tribute to the heroic pilots of C Division.
someone who does something extremely brave and is admired by a lot of people. Use hero about a man or a woman, use heroine about a woman: · A famous World War Two hero, he later became a U.S. senator.· Don't try to be a hero. You'll only get hurt.· a heroine of the Resistance
a person in a story a person in a story in a book, film, or play: · It was a wonderful story -- the characters were so convincing.the main/central character: · The interesting thing about the play is the conflict between the two main characters.
the man or boy who is the main character in a book, play, film etc, who people admire because he is good, strong, brave, honest etc: hero of: · Indiana Jones is the hero of the film.tragic hero (=a hero who suffers a lot): · Hamlet is Shakespeare's most famous tragic hero.
the woman or girl who is the main character in a book, play, film etc, who people admire because she is good, strong, brave, honest etc: heroine of: · The heroine of her latest novel is a middle-class English woman.
someone in a story one of the people in a story: · The two main characters in the book are a young boy and his teacher.· Each group is named after a fictional character like Mickey Mouse.
the man or boy who is the main character in a story: · In cinema, the hero always got the girl and the bad guy was always punished.· Shakespeare's best-known tragic hero is probably Hamlet.hero of: · Who was the hero of "The Catcher in the Rye"?
the woman or girl who is the main character in a story: · The story is narrated entirely by the heroine.· She seems to see herself as some kind of romantic heroine in a trashy novel.
WORD SETSafters, nounalmond, nounanchovy, nounapple, nounapricot, nounartichoke, nounasparagus, nounaspic, nounaubergine, nounavocado, nounbacon, nounbagel, nounbaguette, nounbaked beans, nounbanana, nounbap, nounbarley sugar, nounbatter, nounbear claw, nounbhaji, nounbiscuit, nounbisque, nounblancmange, nounbloater, nounblood orange, nounblue cheese, nounboiled sweet, nounbologna, nounbouillon, nounbread, nounbreadfruit, nounbreast, nounBrie, nounbrioche, nounbroad bean, nounbroccoli, nounbrownie, nounBrussels sprout, nounbubble and squeak, nounbullseye, nounburger, nounburrito, nounbutter, nounbutter bean, nounbutterfat, nounbutterscotch, nounCanadian bacon, nouncanapé, nouncandy apple, nouncandy cane, nouncandyfloss, nouncannelloni, nouncantaloup, nouncaramel, nouncarrot, nouncashew, nouncauliflower, nouncaviar, nouncelery, nouncereal, nouncheddar, nouncheeseburger, nouncheesecake, nounchew, nounchewing gum, nounchicken, nounchicken-fried steak, nounchilli, nounChinese leaves, nounchip, nounchipolata, nounchitterlings, nounchoc, nounchoccy, nounchoc-ice, nounchocolate, nounchocolate chip cookie, nounchop, nounchop suey, nounchowder, nounchow mein, nounChristmas cake, nounChristmas cookie, nounChristmas pudding, nounchutney, nounclementine, nouncock-a-leekie, nouncoconut, nouncod, nouncoleslaw, nouncollard greens, nouncompote, nouncoq au vin, nounCornish pasty, nouncouscous, nouncrème caramel, nouncrepe, nouncrumble, nouncurry, nounDanish, nounDanish pastry, noundessert, noundevil's food cake, noundigestive biscuit, noundill pickle, noundip, noundish, noundoorstep, noundory, noundouble cream, noundouble-decker, noundoughnut, noundressing, noundrumstick, nounduck, noundumpling, nounDundee cake, nounenchilada, nounfaggot, nounfava bean, nounfish, nounfish and chips, nounfishcake, nounfish finger, nounfish stick, nounflapjack, nounfoie gras, nounfondant, nounfondue, nounfortune cookie, nounfrankfurter, noungammon, noungarbanzo, noungâteau, noungelatin, nounghee, noungherkin, noungiblets, nounginger, adjectivegingerbread, nounginger nut, nounglacé, adjectiveglacé icing, noungoose, noungooseberry, noungoulash, noungranola, noungrape, noungrapefruit, noungravy, noungreen bean, noungreengage, noungreen onion, noungreen pepper, noungreen salad, noungriddlecake, nounguacamole, nounhaggis, nounhamburger, nounharicot, nounhash, nounhash browns, nounhazelnut, nounheavy, adjectiveheavy cream, nounhelping, nounhero, nounhock, nounhominy, nounhomogenized, adjectivehoney, nounhors d'oeuvre, nounhorseradish, nounhot-cross bun, nounhot dog, nounhotpot, nounhoumous, nounhuckleberry, nounhumbug, nounhumus, nounice, nouniceberg lettuce, nounice cream, nouningredient, nouninstant, adjectiveIrish stew, nouniron rations, nounjacket potato, nounjalapeño, nounjam, nounjambalaya, nounjawbreaker, nounJell-O, nounjelly, nounjelly baby, nounjelly bean, nounjelly roll, nounjerky, nounJerusalem artichoke, nounkabob, nounkale, nounkebab, nounkedgeree, nounkernel, nounketchup, nounkidney, nounkidney bean, nounkipper, nounkiwi fruit, nounkorma, nounkumquat, nounlamb, nounlasagne, nounleek, nounlemon, nounlemon curd, nounlemon sole, nounlentil, nounlettuce, nounlima bean, nounlime, nounlinguini, nounliquorice, nounliver, nounliver sausage, nounloaf, nounlobster, nounloganberry, nounlollipop, nounlox, nounlozenge, nounluncheon meat, nounlychee, nounmacaroni, nounmacaroon, nounmarzipan, nounmash, nounmatzo, nounmayo, nounmayonnaise, nounmeatball, nounmeatloaf, nounMelba toast, nounmelon, nounmeringue, nounmilk pudding, nounmincemeat, nounmince pie, nounminestrone, nounmixed grill, nounmonkey nut, nounmoussaka, nounmousse, nounmuesli, nounmuffin, nounmulberry, nounmullet, nounmulligatawny, nounmunchies, nounmush, nounmushy peas, nounmuskmelon, nounmussel, nounmutton, nounnachos, nounnan, nounneapolitan, adjectivenectarine, nounnonpareil, nounnoodle, nounnougat, nounoat cake, nounoatmeal, nounomelette, nounopen-faced sandwich, nounopen sandwich, nounorange, nounoven-ready, adjectiveoyster, nounpacked lunch, nounpaella, nounpancake, nounpantry, nounpapaya, nounpaprika, nounparfait, nounParmesan, nounparsley, nounparsnip, nounparson's nose, nounpassion fruit, nounpasta, nounpastrami, nounpastry, nounpasty, nounpâté, nounpatty, nounpavlova, nounpawpaw, nounpea, nounpeach, nounPeach Melba, nounpeanut, nounpeanut butter, nounpear, nounpease pudding, nounpecan, nounpemmican, nounpeppermint, nounpepperoni, nounpersimmon, nounpickle, nounpilchard, nounpineapple, nounpippin, nounpistachio, nounpitta bread, nounpizza, nounplantain, nounplum, nounplum pudding, nounpomegranate, nounpopcorn, nounpoppadom, nounPopsicle, nounpound cake, nounprofiterole, nounpudding, nounquiche, nounradish, nounragout, nounraisin, nounrasher, nounraspberry, nounravioli, nounredcurrant, nounred pepper, nounrelish, nounrice pudding, nounrisotto, nounrissole, nounroly-poly, nounsalad, nounsalsa, nounsamosa, nounsausage roll, nounsavoury, nounschnitzel, nounsemolina, nounshepherd's pie, nounsherbet, nounsoft-boiled, adjectivesole, nounsorbet, nounsoufflé, nounsoup, nounsour cream, nounsoy sauce, nounspaghetti, nounSpam, nounspare ribs, nounspeciality, nounspecialty, nounsponge, nounsubmarine sandwich, nounsuccotash, nounsucker, nounsummer pudding, nounsundae, nounsushi, nounsweet, nounsweetbread, nounsweetie, nounsweet roll, nounSwiss roll, nounSwiss steak, nounsyllabub, nountagliatelle, nounterrine, nountoad-in-the-hole, nounvol-au-vent, nounwafer, nounwaffle, nounwater biscuit, nounwater chestnut, nounwater ice, nounwatermelon, nounweenie, nounWelsh rarebit, nounwhip, nounwhipped cream, nounwhipping cream, nounYorkshire pudding, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY Meanings 1 & 3ADJECTIVES/NOUN + hero A young man is being hailed a hero tonight after rescuing two children. one of the unsung heroes of French politics
1a man who is admired for doing something extremely brave: · The real heroes were the guys who fought in the front lines.
· He finally got to meet his great hero, the Brazilian footballer, Pele.
· They regard Aung San as a national hero and martyr.
· Richards was a local hero, a star of the football club.
(=someone whom many people admire)· Ross was an arctic explorer and popular hero.
(=someone who a particular group of people admire)· He became a cult hero among surfers.
(=a soldier who was very brave in a war)· Coming home, he was hailed as a war hero.
(=someone whose bravery or effort is not noticed or recognized)· These volunteers are the unsung heroes of the campaign.
(=someone who you did not expect to be brave or did not expect to admire)· Baxter was the unlikely hero of the game.
(=someone who people admire in a sport)· Tiger Woods was his sporting hero.
(=an ordinary person who does something brave and becomes a hero in a particular place)· Cesar Chavez has folk hero status in the Latino community.
(=someone who becomes a hero by chance)· He became an accidental hero after discovering the injured child while out walking.
(=someone who has defeated someone else)· Team members were greeted like conquering heroes on their return.
(=someone who was your hero when you were a boy/child)· McEnroe had been one of his boyhood heroes.
verbs· He became a national hero for his part in the war.
(=people say you are a hero)· He was hailed a hero after saving the young girl’s life.
phrases (=be treated as a hero when you arrive somewhere)· The team were given a hero’s welcome when they returned to the city.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES· He died a hero on the battlefield.
A young man is being hailed a hero tonight after rescuing two children. (=the main person in a tragedy)
one of the unsung heroes of French politics· At home he was hailed as a war hero.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE· Just the kind of marginal folk hero they would go and use as a mascot.
· When Finubar returned to Ulthuan he was hailed as a great hero.· And indeed for a time Patroclus fought as gloriously as that great hero himself could have done.· The Warden of the City is the great Elven hero Eltharion.· He was a personage of quite another order from the great hero of Athens, Theseus.· His chief councillor and military leader was William of Toulouse, one of the great Frankish heroes.· The great Athenian hero was Theseus.· I no longer cared about seeing the film, though it was to be the last with my great hero Sean Connery.· With their behavior toward Mr Cengic, they have made him an even greater hero of his country.
· In my section I had one of my local heroes, Tony Scott, about four or five pegs away.· The subjects of Wuerttemberg felt terrible, for they considered the count a local hero.· Because you're a local hero to her.· Hill had established himself as a local hero and also as something of an eccentric.· He has a real medal chance so if Henley wants a local hero it's time to pay up.· The firefighters have become local heroes for their search and rescue efforts after the blast.
· He was a national hero and now he had the leverage to change golf.· His exploits on the Colorado River had made him a national hero, the most celebrated adventurer since Lewis and Clark.· This boy is a celebrity here, a national hero.· Brave, adventurous, single-minded, he died a national hero.· Charismatic, charming, he'd become a national hero.· At Silverstone, Hunt was the national hero.· Punjabis are now with the police, and Mr Gill is a national hero.
· Yet Lowry was a popular hero who, when he died in 1977, was the most famous painter in Britain.· Farmers squealed that the popular porcine hero fueled a drop in pork sales as children boycotted Babe on a platter.· Inventors like Edison, Westinghouse, and Bell were popular heroes, to be emulated by younger men.· There is no more popular hero than Hercules.
· Maybe you'd know how to act if you had some more positive role models and some real heroes in your life.· Jim Magilton was made man of the match but for many United fans new keeper Phil Whitehead was the real hero.· Not Margarita, one of the real heroes of the book.· But my real hero was Victor de Sabata.· Their fantasy helps when the kids start thinking the wrestlers are heroes and the wrestlers become something like real heroes.· Stuntmen and stand-ins are the real heroes.
· Party chairman Chris Patten, the tragic hero of the hour, arrived shortly after 11.00 for a lengthy post-mortem.· Sentimental comedy possesses several characteristics that are incompatible with the classic concept of tragedy and the tragic hero.· But Laker, like all tragic heroes, had his fatal flaw, hubris.· In most cases the pesme sing of tragic heroes who met violent deaths, martyrs to the national cause.
· The ground crews within the Army Air Corps are generally the unsung heroes behind everything we do.· Tonight we meet some of the unsung heroes of Inspector Morse - the extras.· This country is full of unsung heroes.· Jimmy Wilde - one of the great unsung heroes of Crystal Palace, until today!· They were the unsung heroes of the whole appeal.· Les Stocker is another unsung hero in the Honours List.· They indicate that the big lad from West Birk Hatt is probably one of the finest unsung heroes of the last war.
· Instead of portraying a puffy-faced old tyrant, Picasso had drawn a young hero.· The guards hear him knocking and shouting but then our young hero comes back.· Thousands of Keen disks were ordered last month by EGA/VGA users proving the undying popularity of this loveable, young, hero.
NOUN· Just ask Scratchman, the goofy action hero who crusades for truth, justice and the Texas Lottery.· As an action hero, Fletcher fails miserably in this endeavor.
· What right had I to tarnish the reputation of an acknowledged war hero and needlessly distress his family?· Stewart was viewed in Washington as something of a war hero.· I keep forgetting he's a war hero.· Then the war heroes came back home and bumped Lucky out ofhis place at the livery.· The ex-hunter, aviator and war hero, Tom Fairfax, who was her lover, is approaching in his biplane.· We were both war heroes, and both of us had just been elected to Congress.· Sometimes there were famous guests: heavyweight boxers, film actresses, war heroes, prime ministers.· Local Republicans figured a wounded war hero would be a natural political candidate.
· He had a tendency toward hero worship and often gushed embarrassingly in correspondence with his heroes.· And it wasn't all hero worship.
VERB· He became a hero when he rescued a number of people from a blazing house fire.· The traditional outcast or pariah becomes the hero in this new age.· Instead he became a national hero who enjoyed a long life ... and who died with dignity.· By accident Jack became a hero, but maybe that was his nature, anyway.· The governor became a hero to many of his staff and prisoners, including the one slashed.· The Iron Man is befriended by a young child and in the end, becomes a hero.· So when Calley was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment, he became a hero overnight.· Sometimes I lie here and wonder how you ever became a hero.
· When Finubar returned to Ulthuan he was hailed as a great hero.· Rodgers, hailed none the less as a hero in papers across the country, was renowned for being taciturn.
· So you want to play the hero?· Hoffman plays a reluctant hero who disappears after rescuing plane crash survivors.· Sir Anthony Hopkins says it's a privilege to play a romantic hero at 55.· He was in his element playing doomed heroes and dandies, neurotics and aesthetes.· You know now not to play the hero, don't you?
He had dared to speak out against injustice, and overnight he became a national hero. His father was a war hero, a former fighter pilot. the unsung heroes who drove convoys of aid to Bosniahero of a hero of the Great War A man hailed as a hero for 50 years has been unmasked as a traitor.2the man or boy who is the main character in a book, film, play etchero of Phileas Fogg, hero of Jules Verne’s ‘Around the World in Eighty Days’3a man who is admired very much for a particular skill or qualitysomebody’s hero When I was small, Uncle Fred was my hero.hero of Einstein is the hero of those who explore science at its deepest level.4American English a long thin sandwich filled with meat, cheese etc5from hero to zero informal used to say that someone goes from being very successful or admired to being very unsuccessful or unpopularCOLLOCATIONS– Meanings 1 & 3ADJECTIVES/NOUN + heroa real/true hero· The real heroes were the guys who fought in the front lines.a great hero· He finally got to meet his great hero, the Brazilian footballer, Pele.a national hero· They regard Aung San as a national hero and martyr.a local hero· Richards was a local hero, a star of the football club.a popular hero (=someone whom many people admire)· Ross was an arctic explorer and popular hero.a cult hero (=someone who a particular group of people admire)· He became a cult hero among surfers.a war hero (=a soldier who was very brave in a war)· Coming home, he was hailed as a war hero.an unsung hero (=someone whose bravery or effort is not noticed or recognized)· These volunteers are the unsung heroes of the campaign.an unlikely hero (=someone who you did not expect to be brave or did not expect to admire)· Baxter was the unlikely hero of the game.a sporting hero (=someone who people admire in a sport)· Tiger Woods was his sporting hero.a folk hero (=an ordinary person who does something brave and becomes a hero in a particular place)· Cesar Chavez has folk hero status in the Latino community.an accidental hero (=someone who becomes a hero by chance)· He became an accidental hero after discovering the injured child while out walking.a conquering hero (=someone who has defeated someone else)· Team members were greeted like conquering heroes on their return.somebody’s boyhood/childhood hero (=someone who was your hero when you were a boy/child)· McEnroe had been one of his boyhood heroes.verbsbecome a hero· He became a national hero for his part in the war.be hailed (as) a hero (=people say you are a hero)· He was hailed a hero after saving the young girl’s life.phrasesget/be given a hero’s welcome (=be treated as a hero when you arrive somewhere)· The team were given a hero’s welcome when they returned to the city.