Epic

/ˈɛpɪk/

nounmedium📊CommonLiterature
2 meanings2 idioms/phrases3 questions

Definitions

2 meanings
1

A long narrative poem, typically dealing with heroic or legendary figures and events.

/ˈɛpɪk/

nounneutralmedium
Literature

A long poem, typically one derived from ancient oral tradition, narrating the deeds and adventures of heroic or legendary figures or the past events of a nation.

The children were studying an ancient epic about a brave warrior.

💡 Simply: Imagine a really, really long story about a hero or a group of heroes who do amazing things, maybe saving the world. It's like a movie, but written in a poem!

👶 For kids: A long story that is like a poem. It is about brave people who do super cool things.

More Examples

2

The movie was based on a historical epic.

How It's Used

Literary

"Homer's *Iliad* is a classic example of an epic."

2

Heroic or grand in scale or character.

/ˈɛpɪk/

adjectivepositiveBeginner
Descriptive

Heroic; majestic; impressively great.

The climb to the summit was an epic adventure.

💡 Simply: When something's 'epic,' it means it's incredibly awesome, big, and memorable. Like a really, really cool adventure or a super huge accomplishment!

👶 For kids: Something that is very big and exciting, like a super cool adventure!

More Examples

2

The movie had epic special effects.

3

The wedding was an epic event to remember for years.

How It's Used

General

"The journey was an epic undertaking."

Film

"The film featured epic battle scenes."

Tip:Think of something grand and memorable, like a hero's journey.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms

Idioms & expressions

epic fail

A complete and utter failure; something that goes terribly wrong.

"The presentation was an epic fail, as the speaker forgot all of their points."

of epic proportions

Extremely large or significant; of a scale worthy of an epic.

"The traffic jam was of epic proportions, stretching for miles."

From Greek *epos* meaning 'word, song, poem'. Originally referred to a long narrative poem celebrating heroic deeds.

Originally used to describe long narrative poems in classical literature, its usage has expanded to include anything grand or impressive.

Memory tip

Think of an elaborate, long story full of heroic deeds.

Word Origin

LanguageGreek
Original meaning

"word, song, poem"

epic adventureepic poemepic battleepic failof epic proportions

Common misspellings

epickepc

Usage

30%Spoken
70%Written