▪ the chief male character in a book, play, or movie, who is typically identified with good qualities, and with whom the reader is expected to sympathize: "the hero of Kipling's story"Similarmale protagonistprincipal male characterprincipal male rolelead actorleadleading manleading rolemale leadstar rolestarring rolestar partmale starOppositevillain
▪ (in mythology and folklore) a person of superhuman qualities and often semidivine origin, in particular one whose exploits were the subject of ancient Greek myths.
2. another term for submarineNorth American
Word OriginMiddle English (with mythological reference): via Latin from Greek hērōs.
