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V2 Vocabulary Building Dictionary


epic

adjective, noun

Definition: (adj.) 1. on a grand scale; 2. occurring over a long period and characterized by a lot of difficulties; (n.) a poem, story, or artistic expression that describes heroic deeds

Synonyms: grand, heroic, classic, larger-than-life, story, poem

Antonyms: small, insignificant

Tips: Epic is derived from the Greek epikos, from epos, "word, story, poem." An epic, in the true sense of the word, is a long poem or story that tells a heroic tale. Homer's "Iliad" is one of the most famous epics. As an adjective, epic has come to describe events that happen over a long period and involve a lot of action and difficulty. (e.g. "It was an epic struggle," or "It was an epic journey.") Epic has also come to describe something large. This most likely comes from the fact that epics were long poems. Nowadays, epic is also used as a slang term to mean "great or awesome."

Usage Examples:

The movie "Titanic" was an epic tale of two young lovers and their heroism aboard the sinking ship. (heroic story) adjective

The Star Wars movies are a true sci-fi epics. (long heroic stories) noun

The min-series "Roots" tells the story of a family and its epic struggle, living under slavery in the U.S. (long, hard) adjective

It was an epic day for surfing--the waves were perfect! (grand, ideal, memorable) adjective


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