The original epic meaning is a long poem that tells the story of heroes, gods and great adventures, often deciding the fate of a people. From that literary sense came the adjective: epic now also describes anything very large, long or dramatic, like an epic journey or an epic battle.
In casual speech, especially among younger speakers, epic simply means excellent or impressive, and epic fail means a spectacular mistake. Below you get the definition of epic as literary critics use it, how to use it as an adjective, the slang sense, and the Greek root behind it, so you have the full epic meaning in English.
Entry at a glance
Meaning
Noun: a long narrative poem or story about heroic deeds. Adjective: heroic, grand, huge; informal: amazingPart of speech
Noun (plural: epics) and adjectivePronunciation
EP-ikWord forms
epically (adverb); epical (rare adjective)Origin
Greek epikos, from epos, word, tale, song; adjective in English from the 1580sOpposite
small-scale, minor, ordinary, trivialRegister
Neutral in literature; informal in the slang sense
Epic meaning in literature
As a literary term, an epic is a long narrative poem, usually in a grand, serious style, about a hero whose actions matter to a whole nation or culture. Typical features include:
- a hero of great strength, courage or birth;
- a vast setting, sometimes several lands or even the world of the gods;
- gods or supernatural forces taking part in events;
- great battles, long voyages or impossible tasks;
- an opening that asks a muse for help, and a story that starts in the middle of the action.
Famous examples include the ancient Greek Iliad and Odyssey, the Sanskrit Mahabharata and Ramayana, the Mesopotamian Epic of Gilgamesh and the Old English Beowulf. Epics that grew out of spoken storytelling are called oral or folk epics; those composed later by a single poet in imitation are called literary epics.
Other senses of epic
- A long story in another form. A novel or film covering many years, places or characters: a family epic spanning three generations.
- Grand or heroic in scale (adjective). An epic struggle, an epic voyage across the Pacific.
- Very long or very big, often humorously. We waited in an epic queue for the bathroom.
- Excellent or awesome (slang). That concert was epic. Epic win.
- Epic fail (slang). A failure so complete it is almost funny: he tried to parallel park in front of everyone, epic fail.
Epic in example sentences
- Our literature class spent the whole term reading one epic in translation.
- The rescue of the trapped miners became an epic of endurance.
- It was an epic road trip: four states, two flat tyres and no working radio.
- The match turned into an epic five-set battle that lasted nearly five hours.
- "How was the party?" "Honestly, epic."
Where the word epic comes from
Epic comes from Greek epikos, "relating to a story or heroic poetry", from epos, which meant "word", "tale" or "song". It reached English through Latin epicus and French épique. English used the adjective for long heroic poems from the 1580s, and the wider sense of grand or heroic was in use by the early 18th century. The noun for an epic poem became common around the same time. The slang sense of excellent is a recent informal stretch of the grand meaning.
Epic compared with saga, legend and myth
| Word | Main idea |
|---|---|
| epic | a long, grand narrative of heroic action, often in verse |
| saga | a long prose story of a family or hero, first from medieval Iceland; now any long series of events |
| legend | a traditional story about a person or place, maybe partly true |
| myth | a traditional story about gods or origins that explains the world |
| elegy | a sad poem of mourning, much shorter and quieter |
A related idea is the protagonist, the central character; in an epic that role belongs to the hero.
Using epic well
In essays and formal writing, keep epic for real scale or the literary form: an epic poem, epic scope, an epic in twelve books. In chat, the slang sense is fine, but it can sound overused if every lunch or video is called epic. Good formal pairings include epic proportions, an epic tale and epic in scale; common informal ones are epic fail and epic win.
You can compare epic with other genres on our literary terms hub.
Frequently asked questions
How would you define epic in simple words?
An epic is a very long story or poem about brave heroes and great events. As an adjective, epic means very large, dramatic or impressive.
What does epic mean in slang?
In slang, epic means awesome or extremely good. Epic fail means a huge, often funny mistake.
What are the features of an epic poem?
A great hero, a huge setting, supernatural forces, long journeys or wars, and a serious, lofty style. Many also open with a call to a muse and begin in the middle of the story.
Can a movie or book be called an epic?
Yes. Any long story with a grand sweep, many characters or a long time span can be called an epic, even in prose or on screen.
How do you pronounce epic?
Say EP-ik, stressed on the first syllable. Its opening matches the ep in step, and it ends like pick.
Should I use epic as a noun or adjective?
You can use it both ways. An epic is a story or poem, and epic describes things that are grand, heroic or, informally, amazing.