heroine Hear it!

heroine Definition

hero·ine (her′ō in)

noun

  1. a girl or woman of outstanding courage, nobility, etc., or of heroic achievements
  2. the central female character in a novel, play, etc., with whom the reader or audience is supposed to sympathize

Etymology: L heroina < Gr hērōinē, fem. of hērōs, hero

heroine Synonyms

heroine

n.

  1. A female hero

    courageous woman, champion, goddess, ideal, intrepid woman, demigoddess, woman of heroic character, woman of the hour, woman of the day; see also celebrity 2, hero 1, idol 2.

  2. Leading female character in a literary composition

    feminine lead, protagonist, leading lady, diva, prima donna, principal female character, female star, female lead, romantic interest, heart interest, girl; see also actress, cast 2, star 3.

heroine Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • become: Grace Darling would become the first heroine of the Victorian age.
  • play: Keira Knightley plays the heroine Elizabeth Bennet to general acclaim.
  • feature: Jane Austen's Mansfield Park features a heroine called Fanny - should we change her name too?
  • name: The protagonist is a young heroine named Justine who is sent to live in a convent after her parents die.
  • have: They will have a heroine to send Batman back to his cave for me - won't they?

Adjective modifier

  • eponymous: Ben's sister, Alice, is the eponymous heroine of the first novel.
  • unsung: She is the great unsung heroine of British feminism.
  • feisty: Aren't you in danger of making feisty young heroines a cliché ?
  • tragic: Mary Queen of Scots is Scotland's best-known tragic heroine.
  • romantic: A romantic heroine is often backlit to create a halo effect on her hair.
  • brave: Or you longed to be a brave heroine, but people laughed at you because you were a clumsy, dreamy girl?

Noun used with modifier

  • lifeboat: There is a memorial in the churchyard to the Northumbrian lifeboat heroine, Grace Darling.
  • action: Action heroine Lara Croft returns in Tomb Raider 3, an impressive action adventure game from Eidos.

Possessives

  • life: Despite all that has happened in our heroine's life, she comes through victorious and with a lot of class.
  • name: Spanish Sailor Moon fan Ana Varas informs me that in that country the heroine's real name is Serena Tsukino.

Preposition: in

  • distress: A classical 2005 ap news story top heroine in dire distress invariably exclaims aloud: " Will _no_ one aid me?

Preposition: of

  • tale: But this was scant compensation for the tediously upright conversation of the heroes and heroines of the tale.
  • novel: It would not be a good place for the heroine of a modern novel to stay at.
  • story: Crinkle, the heroine of the story, sets out to save the forest from destruction.
  • film: Just think about the three heroines of these films.
heroine Quotes

When a heroine goes mad, she always goes into white satin.

—Sheridan, Richard Brinsley