antihero

noun

an·​ti·​he·​ro
ˈan-tē-ˌhē-(ˌ)rō,
ˈan-ˌtī- How to pronounce antihero (audio)
-ˌhir-(ˌ)ō
plural antiheroes
: a protagonist or notable figure who is conspicuously lacking in heroic qualities
antiheroic
ˌan-tē-hi-ˈrō-ik
ˌan-ˌtī- How to pronounce antihero (audio)
adjective

Examples of antihero in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Their mask-like headwear nods to an antihero of crime fiction dreamed up by writers Marcel Allain and Pierre Souvestre: Fantômas. Vogue, 25 June 2024 But Ritter, in turn, netted the Marvel antihero part of Jessica Jones. Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 June 2024 For over a half century, the Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actor, who received an honorary Oscar in 2017, memorably played villains, antiheroes, romantic leads and mentor figures. Rick Schultz, Variety, 20 June 2024 Now, in the diffuse and shapeless post-vaccine Biden era, both antihero shows and sweet shows seem to have run out of steam. Constance Grady, Vox, 16 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for antihero 

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

Word History

First Known Use

1714, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of antihero was in 1714

Dictionary Entries Near antihero

Cite this Entry

“Antihero.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/antihero. Accessed 7 Jul. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on antihero

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