heroine

IPA/ˈherəʊɪn/
KK[hˈɛroən]IPA/ˈherəʊɪn/

heroine — noun

  • heroinesingular
  • heroinesplural

1. A woman who is greatly admired because she has done something extremely brave, s

1.nounB1
Definition

A woman who is greatly admired because she has done something extremely brave, such as risking her life to help others, or because she has achieved something remarkable in her field.

Example

Aiko was called a national heroine after she pulled three children from a burning house.

collocation: national heroine

The young nurse became a wartime heroine for treating wounded soldiers under constant gunfire.

collocation: wartime heroine

Common collocations
  • national heroine
  • wartime heroine
  • folk heroine
  • everyday heroine
  • unsung heroine
  • be hailed as a heroine
  • be considered a heroine
Synonyms
  • role model

    focuses on being an example to follow rather than on brave acts or achievements

  • idol

    more informal; suggests personal admiration that may be less based on actual heroic deeds

  • champion

    emphasises fighting for a cause or defending others

Antonyms
  • coward

    someone who lacks bravery

  • villain

    someone who does evil or harmful deeds

Common Mistakes

She was a hero woman.
She was a heroine.
'heroine' is the correct feminine noun form; do not use 'hero' as an adjective.

2. The most important female character in a story, book, film, or play, who is usua

2.nounB1
Definition

The most important female character in a story, book, film, or play, who is usually the one readers or viewers most strongly identify with and who drives the plot forward.

Example

The novel's heroine, Elizabeth Bennet, is famous for her intelligence and independent spirit.

the novel's heroine = the main female character of a book

In the film, the heroine must decide whether to save her village or protect the ancient forest.

Common collocations
  • the novel's heroine
  • the film's heroine
  • a story's heroine
  • literary heroine
  • action heroine
  • romantic heroine
  • young heroine
  • the heroine of the story
Synonyms
  • protagonist

    gender-neutral term for the main character; used in more formal or academic writing

  • lead

    informal, often used in film and theatre; can refer to any gender

  • female lead

    specifies gender; common in entertainment industry contexts

Antonyms
  • villain

    the character who opposes the heroine

  • antagonist

    the character who works against the protagonist; gender-neutral

Usage Note

The word 'heroine' for a female protagonist is becoming less preferred by some writers, who now use 'hero' for characters of any gender. However, 'heroine' remains standard in publishing, criticism, and classroom settings.

Common Mistakes

The hero of the story is a woman named Priya.
The heroine of the story is a woman named Priya.
Use 'heroine' for a specifically female lead character in a neutral or positive context.

3. A woman who someone greatly admires because of a particular quality, talent, or

3.nounB1
Definition

A woman who someone greatly admires because of a particular quality, talent, or skill she possesses, often in daily life or a specific field rather than through extraordinary bravery.

Example

My grandma has always been my personal heroine because of her patience and kindness.

possessive: my personal heroine

Young tennis players around the world see Naomi Osaka as their sporting heroine.

collocation: sporting heroine

Common collocations
  • my heroine
  • personal heroine
  • sporting heroine
  • culinary heroine
  • academic heroine
  • lifelong heroine
  • childhood heroine
Synonyms
  • idol

    stronger personal admiration; may feel more intense and less grounded in real personal connection

  • inspiration

    emphasises the effect the person has on you rather than your feeling toward her

  • role model

    a person whose behaviour is imitated by others; more focused on example-setting

Grammar Patterns

possessive + heroine

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 1: this sense does not require a brave act or a major achievement — the admiration may be personal and private. In writing, a possessive determiner (my, her, our) is very common with this sense.

Common Mistakes

She is heroine for me.
She is my heroine.
The possessive form 'my' / 'her' / 'our' is nearly always needed; 'heroine' without a determiner sounds unnatural.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Heroine (sense 1) and hero are parallel terms distinguished only by gender; both describe someone admired for bravery or great achievement. Champion overlaps with heroine when it refers to someone who fights for a cause — a champion fights actively over time, while a heroine may be recognised for a single act of courage. Role model shifts the focus from deeds to character: a role model is someone whose behaviour you try to copy, even if they have never performed a brave act. Idol is the most informal and intense of the group; an idol is admired almost unquestioningly, sometimes based on image rather than real actions. For example, people call Malala Yousafzai a heroine for surviving an attack and continuing her education campaign, but they call their favourite singer an idol because they love her music and personality.

heroine ↗hero ↗champion ↗role model ↗idol ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • childhood heroine
  • teenage heroine

Phrases

  • be someone's heroine

Prepositions

  • heroine of

Etymology

GreekLatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'heroine' comes from Latin 'heroina', which was borrowed from the Greek 'hērōinē' (ἡρωίνη), the feminine form of 'hērōs' (ἥρως) meaning 'hero'. English adopted it through French in the 16th century. The suffix '-ine' marks the feminine form, following the same pattern as 'actor → actress' (though that uses a different suffix). Speakers have used 'heroine' since the 1500s to refer to brave or mythical women, and by the 1700s it also referred to the main female character in fiction.