Take a Compliment: Words to Describe a Hero or Heroine

From the adventurers of epic poems to the caped crusaders of blockbuster movies, heroes and heroines are everywhere in literature and pop culture. Master these adjectives that will help you describe the main character of your favorite superhero movie.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. adventurous
    willing to undertake new and daring enterprises
    “The reckless part of it is just someone who is bold and adventurous and willing to try new things,” McCormick said. Washington Times (May 2, 2021)
  2. ambitious
    having a strong desire for success or achievement
    All were ambitious men, unaccustomed to losing and even less to quitting. Into Thin Air
  3. audacious
    disposed to venture or take risks
    Harry’s was an age that spawned bold dreams and audacious dreamers. The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics
  4. stalwart
    possessing or displaying courage
    Here, then, is a great stalwart man, in perfect health, all brawn and rude muscle, set up before us as the ideal of strength. Lanier, Sidney
  5. bold
    fearless and daring
    She wanted to show him how bold and unafraid she was, but her heart quaked. Copper Sun
  6. brave
    possessing or displaying courage
    “I will try to be brave like a knight in shining armor. I will be brave for the Princess Pea. ” The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup and a Spool of Thread
  7. courageous
    able to face and deal with danger or fear without flinching
    And it wasn’t their fault that they were courageous, confident and carefree. Catch-22
  8. daredevil
    recklessly daring
    As if that wasn’t enough of a challenge, the daredevil aerialist did one of the walks on a significant incline and another blindfolded. Time (Nov 2, 2014)
  9. daring
    disposed to venture or take risks
    A she-bear took charge of her, nursed her and kept her warm, and the baby grew up thus into an active, daring little girl. Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes
  10. famous
    widely known and esteemed
    I wished he’d been famous, famous like a movie star, which is what he deserved. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
  11. fearless
    calm or oblivious in the face of danger
    He was also quite fearless and he loved adventure. The BFG
  12. stout
    courageous and dependable
    In this awful situation, the stoutest hearts began to fail. An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793
  13. gallant
    unflinching in battle or action
    It was a movie about American bombers in the Second World War and the gallant men who flew them. Slaughterhouse-Five
  14. glorious
    having or deserving or conferring high honor
    Then he lashed his horses and round and round the walls of Troy he dragged all that was left of glorious Hector. Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes
  15. hardy
    invulnerable to fear or intimidation
    As she said, we were the people of the Tang, by which she meant we were a tough, hardy, patient race. Dragonwings
  16. heroic
    having qualities appropriate for brave figures
    She was fierce in the presence of death, heroic even, as she was at no other time. Song of Solomon
  17. illustrious
    widely known and esteemed
    The Medicis, a family of illustrious Florentine bankers that rose to power in the 14th and 15th centuries, produced popes, princes and two queens of France. New York Times (Sep 21, 2010)
  18. intrepid
    invulnerable to fear or intimidation
    In August 2010, this intrepid Dutch teenager embarked on her dream to sail around the world with neither a crew nor a follow boat. New York Times (Jan 16, 2014)
  19. undaunted
    resolutely courageous
    Apollo on his side, facing this undaunted person, felt an admiration for his boldness and made his priestess deliver the response. Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes
  20. lionhearted
    extraordinarily courageous
    She is truly growing into a lionhearted warrior child who knows no bounds. Washington Times (Feb 19, 2017)
  21. mettlesome
    having a proud, courageous, and unbroken spirit
    Lu Kuang is fresh from his victories in the west, and his soldiers are vigorous and mettlesome. Sunzi (6th cent. BC)
  22. renowned
    widely known and esteemed
    I am on the phone with Nobel laureate Arthur B. McDonald, one of the most renowned physicists in the world. Washington Post (Mar 8, 2019)
  23. empathetic
    showing ready comprehension of others' states
    Habitually putting himself in other people’s shoes, he was in his private life charming and engaging, generous and genuinely empathetic. Seabiscuit: An American Legend
  24. valiant
    having or showing heroism or courage
    Nisus and Euryalus were their names, the first a valiant and experienced soldier, the other only a stripling, but equally brave and full of generous ardor for heroic deeds. Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes
  25. valorous
    having or showing the qualities of a hero or heroine
    In his imagination, he is Winston Churchill, the valorous protector of his nation, the singular leader of clear, unerring vision. The New Yorker (Mar 22, 2015)
Created on Fri Jul 30 12:20:13 EDT 2021 (updated Tue Aug 10 15:44:54 EDT 2021)

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