heroine

noun

her·​o·​ine ˈher-ə-wən How to pronounce heroine (audio)
ˈhir-,
ˈhe-rə- How to pronounce heroine (audio)
1
a
: a mythological or legendary woman often of divine descent having great strength or ability
b
: a woman admired and emulated for her achievements and qualities
American heroines such as Eleanor Roosevelt and Rosa Parks
remembered as the heroine of the flood
2
a
: the principal female character in a literary or dramatic work
the heroine of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet
b
: the central female figure in an event or period

Examples of heroine in a Sentence

The town remembered her as the heroine of the flood and erected a statue in her honor.
Recent Examples on the Web Furiosa Stars Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth Present Together at Oscars 2024 Miller, 79, originally hoped to have Theron star in the prequel, portraying a younger version of the post-apocalyptic heroine. Jen Juneau, Peoplemag, 19 Mar. 2024 Illustrations and paintings of Joan of Arc, a national heroine of France who led troops to a historic victory in 1429, often depict her wearing a breastplate, with and without its surrounding armor. Laurie Brookins, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Mar. 2024 Yet, Monteverde and co-writer Rod Barr mostly concentrate on the series of repetitive verbal confrontations and, despite the overwrought length of their project, neglect to construct a portrait of this heroine that reveals her humanity or even her relationship to God. Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 7 Mar. 2024 The Iranian French actress Zar Amir Ebrahimi has the eyes of a silent film heroine and the face of a Modigliani. Ty Burr, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2024 Bridget Jones hit the silver screen, fans have been clamoring to see the further adventures of the plucky heroine, played by Renée Zellweger. Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 26 Feb. 2024 Moviegoers over the Presidents Day weekend are showing more love for musicians with dreads than heroines with webs. Greg Braxton, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2024 Pushed out by an unloving foster family, our heroine bounces from one unhappy situation to another, blithely rising above a string of temporary jobs, unreliable boyfriends, and a stint of streetwalking. Danny Horn, EW.com, 7 Mar. 2024 And although the Coens have put more than a few luminous heroines on-screen—think Fargo or True Grit—Jamie and Marian are the kind of appreciably flawed, semi-charmed goofballs that are usually written as men in the brothers’ capers. David Sims, The Atlantic, 21 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'heroine.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin heroina, from Greek hērōinē, feminine of hērōs

First Known Use

1587, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of heroine was in 1587

Dictionary Entries Near heroine

Cite this Entry

“Heroine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heroine. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

heroine

noun
her·​o·​ine ˈher-ə-wən How to pronounce heroine (audio)
1
: a woman in legends or myths who has great courage and daring
2
: a woman admired for her achievements and qualities
3
: the chief female figure in a literary work or in an event or period
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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