epic
pronunciation
How to pronounce epic in British English:
UK [ˈepɪk]
How to pronounce epic in American English:
US [ˈepɪk]
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- Noun:
- a long narrative poem telling of a hero's deeds
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- Adjective:
- very imposing or impressive; surpassing the ordinary (especially in size or scale)
- constituting or having to do with or suggestive of a literary epic
Word Origin
- epic (adj.)
- 1580s, "pertaining to or constituting a lengthy heroic poem," via Middle French épique or directly from Latin epicus, from Greek epikos, from epos "a word; a tale, story; promise, prophecy, proverb; poetry in heroic verse," from PIE *wekw- "to speak" (see voice (n.)). Extended sense of "grand, heroic" first recorded in English 1731. From 1706 as a noun in reference to an epic poem, "A long narrative told on a grand scale of time and place, featuring a larger-than-life protagonist and heroic actions" [Miller Williams, "Patterns of Poetry"]. Earlier as "an epic poet" (1630s).
Example
- 1. The funeral offered a good lesson in epic film-making .
- 2. Get ready for a truly epic battle in the cloud .
- 3. The speeches have to be epic .
- 4. The epic is a threatened art form at the movies .
- 5. Medieval warriors and japanese samurai cried during times of epic tragedy .