Antiheroic

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Characterized by a rejection of heroic ideals, values, or behavior, or by the absence of noble or courageous qualities
2. Opposing or standing in contrast to heroic virtue, grandeur, or the traditional glorification of brave deeds
3. Marked by an avoidance or negation of heroic traits, manifesting instead as unheroic, ordinary, or morally ambiguous

Etymology: "Antiheroic" is a straightforward formation rather than a word with a dramatic backstory. It is built either from "antihero" with the adjective ending "-ic", or directly from the prefix "anti-" attached to "heroic". Both routes lead to the same sense: opposed to the conventions of heroism. The base is "heroic", which descends from Greek "hērōikos", relating to heroes, the legendary figures of Greek myth and epic. English took the classical adjective and gradually used it for conduct that is brave, noble, or grand in the manner of those heroes. Adding "anti-", from Greek "anti" meaning "against" or "opposite", produces a term for behavior or qualities that reverse or reject that model. The noun "antihero", the more established of the two bases, names a central character who lacks the traditional virtues of a hero, such as a flawed or morally ambiguous protagonist. "Antiheroic" describes the qualities of such a character or the attitudes of a work that deliberately subverts heroic expectations.

Synonyms: unheroic, cowardly

Antonyms: heroic, valiant