antihero

[ an-tee-heer-oh, an-tahy- ]
See synonyms for antihero on Thesaurus.com
noun,plural an·ti·he·roes.
  1. a protagonist who lacks the attributes that make a heroic figure, as nobility of mind and spirit, a life or attitude marked by action or purpose, and the like.

Origin of antihero

1
First recorded in 1705–15; anti- + hero

Other words from antihero

  • an·ti·her·o·ism [an-tee-her-oh-iz-uhm, an-tahy-], /ˌæn tiˈhɛr oʊˌɪz əm, ˌæn taɪ-/, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use antihero in a sentence

  • Often carried away by the anti-hero, but rescued either by her father or the hero.

    Jane Austen, Her Life and Letters | William Austen-Leigh and Richard Arthur Austen-Leigh

British Dictionary definitions for antihero

antihero

/ (ˈæntɪˌhɪərəʊ) /


nounplural -roes
  1. a central character in a novel, play, etc, who lacks the traditional heroic virtues

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012