| 释义 |
ep·ic
I. \ˈepik, -pēk\ adjective
also ep·i·cal \ˈepə̇kəl, -pēk-\
Etymology: Latin epicus, from Greek epikos, from epos word, speech, epic poem + -ikos -ic, -ical — more at voice
1.
a. : of, relating to, or befitting an epic
< epic poets >
< an epic hero >
: heroic
< the epic period in Greek history >
b. : having the characteristics of, resembling, or suggestive of an epic
< they are heroic poems … but that they are epic in any save the most general sense … is not quite clear — W.P.Ker >
2. : extending beyond the usual or ordinary especially in size or scope
< transforms the conventional length of bread into an epic loaf — Rosamund Frost >
: undertaken on a grand scale
< the final paragraph of this epic biography — W.L.Shirer >
: imposing, impressive
< improvisation … that ranges from out-and-out burlesque to epic grandeur of scene and action — Saxe Commins >
< a faithful record of an epic expedition — C.A.Lejeune >
< a strange … human being of rather epic proportions — Richard Watts >
II. noun
(-s)
1. : a long narrative poem recounting the deeds of a legendary or historical hero:
a. : a long narrative poem (as Homer's Iliad) recounting heroic deeds set against a background of war and the supernatural, having a serious theme developed in a coherent and unified manner, written in a dignified style, and marked by certain formal characteristics (as a beginning in medias res, the invocation to the muse, and the use of extended similes) — called also classical epic
b. : a long narrative poem (as Milton's Paradise Lost) having the structure, conventions, and tone of the classical epic but dealing with later or different subject matter — called also literary epic
c. : a long narrative poem (as Beowulf) expressing the early ideals, characteristics, and traditions of a people or nation — called also folk epic
d. : the literary genre consisting of epic poems
< epic and romance >
2. : something felt to resemble an epic
< an epic in stone and marble — Samuel Butler †1902 >
as
a. : a long narrative poem
< an epic … every spring — Lord Byron >
b. : a prose narrative (as a novel), play, or motion picture
< voluminous epics on the moral conquest of poverty — E.S.Bates >
< a Broadway epic — Wolcott Gibbs >
< eager for short features to exhibit along with the full-length Hollywood epics — Dun's Review >
especially : one embodying a nation's ideals or historical traditions or centering around the adventures or achievements of a single person or character
< Moby Dick is an American epic — Richard Chase >
3. : a series of events or body of legend or tradition felt to form the proper subject of an epic
< revives the memories of the great American epic, the winning of the West — William Clark >
4. usually capitalized : old ionic |