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heroism

[ her-oh-iz-uhm ]

/ ˈhɛr oʊˌɪz əm /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR heroism ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the qualities or attributes of a hero or heroine: He showed great heroism in battle.

heroic conduct; courageous action: Pat's returning into the burning building was true heroism.

Origin of heroism

1660–70; hero + -ism; compare French héroïsme

SYNONYMS FOR heroism

1 intrepidity, valor, prowess, gallantry, bravery, courage, daring, fortitude.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR heroism ON THESAURUS.COM

ANTONYMS FOR heroism

1 cowardice, timidity.

SEE ANTONYMS FOR heroism ON THESAURUS.COM

Words nearby heroism

heroics, heroin, heroin chic, heroine, heroinism, heroism, heroize, heron, heron's-bill, heronry, herophilus

Example sentences from the Web for heroism

The game has become our modern Passion Play, self-destruction as our highest form of heroism.

Two New Films Preach Our Nation’s Corrosive Gridiron Gospel |Steve Almond |September 20, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Satisfaction does not insist on setting up clear categories of heroism and villainy, good, and evil.

Is ‘Satisfaction’ a Love Story That’s Too Real About Sex and Marriage? |David Masciotra |September 19, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Thousands cheered for Ukrainian unity and heroism as the blue-and-yellow flags of their country flapped in the late summer sun.

Defying NATO, Ignoring Ceasefire, Russian-Backed Troops Keep Rolling |Ted Phillips |September 4, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Hamlet refused to accept that heroism was his destiny, because of the behavior it required.

Alleged Santa Barbara Killer Elliot Rodger and the Twisted Cult of Modern Masculinity |James Poulos |May 26, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

Feelings of shame and unworthiness are universal precursors to one of two things: an act of destruction and an act of heroism.

Marc Webb Takes Us Inside ‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2’ and Discusses His Rise to the A-List |Marlow Stern |March 15, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
To the Iliad, subsequent ages have turned with one accord for images of heroism, traits of nature, grandeur of character.

Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 57, No. 354, April 1845 |Various
This story tells of the bravery and heroism of Betty, the beautiful young sister of old Colonel Zane, one of the bravest pioneers.

Torchy, Private Sec. |Sewell Ford
I found a perfectly lucid being, boasting of his crime as of an act of heroism.

Their Majesties as I Knew Them |Xavier Paoli
It is hopeless to prove that you are not a hero when your disclaimers are themselves taken as a proof of heroism.

A Duet |Arthur Conan Doyle
It was almost incumbent on her to say something, though it would have been better for her not to have alluded to their heroism.

The Prime Minister |Anthony Trollope

British Dictionary definitions for heroism

heroism

/ (ˈhɛrəʊˌɪzəm) /

noun

the state or quality of being a hero