superhero
Americannoun
-
superheroes
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of superhero
First recorded in 1895–1900; from French super-héros
Explanation
A fictional character with extraordinary powers who saves people from danger is a superhero. In real life, anyone who comes to the rescue can also be called a superhero. You know a superhero when you see one: in the movies or comics, they wear costumes and fight crime. Wonder Woman, Superman, Black Panther, and Iron Man are all familiar superheroes who use their superhuman abilities in amazing ways. Ordinary people who do amazing things — saving a child from drowning, running into a burning building for a pet cat, raising huge amounts of money for a good cause — are also superheroes.
Vocabulary lists containing superhero
Hands
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Comic Book Day
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A Boy Called Bat
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
His role as professor Charles Xavier in the “X-Men” film series from 2000 to 2017 helped propel his career to new heights and usher in a new era of superhero films.
From Salon ● Oct. 29, 2026
Stewart found further acclaim on the big screen in many films of the "X-Men" series, debuting in 2000 as Professor Charles Xavier, the founder and mentor of the mutant superhero team.
From Barron's ● Oct. 29, 2026
“I feel like an undercover superhero, kind of, trying to do everything,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026
Hawkins-Field said her dad Eddie has become the family's "superhero", working full-time and then visiting his wife in hospital every day.
From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2026
Jack had even made imaginary stats for the superhero game.
From "Breadcrumbs" by Anne Ursu
"I've always looked up to bodybuilders as like superheroes and something I aspired to be," he said.
From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2026
It would also give Ellison a vast entertainment empire that includes franchises such as Harry Potter, DC superheroes and “Game of Thrones,” as well as cable networks like CNN and Cartoon Network.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026
Or, if you prefer superheroes: HBO’s new show adapts DC’s Green Lantern comics, but the series offers more than just your typical superhero fare.
From Slate ● Aug. 31, 2026
I’ve gotten to meet all of my superheroes, in a way.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
“I still have some of your drawings, you know. The ones of us as different superheroes are my favorites.”
From "Starfish" by Akemi Dawn Bowman
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
