# superhero

Pronunciation: US say "SOO-pur-heer-oh" /ˈs(j)upɚhɪɹoʊ/; UK say "SOO-puh-heer-oh" /ˈsuːpəhɪəɹəʊ/

## Noun

1. A fictional crime-fighting character, often equipped with extraordinary powers or gadgets, who performs great deeds in popular and fantasy stories.
   - Simple: A made-up character who fights bad guys, often using special powers or gear.
   - _The comic introduces a new superhero whose abilities come from a meteor strike._
   - _Generations of children have grown up reading about caped superheroes._
2. A real-world hero of exceptional renown, or someone who appears to possess almost impossible abilities.
   - Simple: A real person who is so brave or skilled that they seem to have amazing powers.
   - _After single-handedly rescuing the entire crew, the captain was hailed as a superhero._
   - _Marathon runners who finish on broken bones earn a kind of superhero status among fans._

## Origin

Formed from the prefix 'super-' combined with 'hero', first attested in 1917.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/superhero (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).