Synonyms for

Epic

Verb / ˈepɪk / Another word for epic — explore alternatives below. For syllable breakdowns and pronunciation, see this word on Syllablesworld.

Definition

An epic is a long poem or story that tells about heroic deeds or an important event in history.

Synonyms & similar words

epos heroicpoem heroic largerthanlife epical epicpoem legendary heroic grand majestic monumental impressive awe-inspiring magnificent glorious splendid mythic mythical fabled fantastic mythological dramatic romantic adventurous bold daring

Synonyms by register

Formal

grand monumental heroic legendary

Informal

awesome amazing incredible huge massive

Literary

bardic heroic mythic

Antonyms

minor trivial unimportant ordinary commonplace insignificant

Common collocations

  • epic poem
  • epic journey
  • epic battle
  • epic fail
  • epic proportions
  • epic story
  • epic adventure

Word family

noun epic
adjective epic

Usage note

While 'epic' is often used informally to mean 'very large' or 'impressive', its original and more formal meaning relates to a long narrative poem, typically one celebrating heroic deeds.

Example sentences

  1. The epic battle between the Greeks and the Trojans lasted for ten years.
  2. Beowulf is an epic poem from Anglo-Saxon literature.
  3. The Lord of the Rings is an epic fantasy novel by J.R.R. Tolkien.
  4. The movie Titanic is an epic love story set on a doomed ship.
  5. The construction of the Great Wall of China is an epic achievement of human engineering.

Quotes

  • The Iliad and the Odyssey are two of the greatest epic poems in Western literature. -Homer
  • All epic heroes share certain characteristics. -Dan Simmons
  • An epic is not made by piecing together a set of heroic lays, adjusting their discrepancies and making them into a continuous narrative. -Lascelles Abercrombie

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