epic

See also: EPIC

Contents

English

Alternative forms

• epick (archaic)

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈe.pɪk/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈɛ.pɪk/
• Rhymes: -ɛpɪk

Etymology 1

From Middle French épique, from Latin epicus, from Ancient Greek ἐπικός (epikós), from ἔπος (épos, “word, story”).

Noun

epic (plural epics)

1. An extended narrative poem in elevated or dignified language, celebrating the feats of a deity or demigod (heroic epic) or other legendary or traditional hero.

   The Icelandic epic took all night to recite.

2. A series of events considered appropriate to an epic.

   The book was an epic in four volumes.

Synonyms

• épopée
• epos

Derived terms

Derived terms

• art epic
• epically
• epicness

• heroic epic
• national epic

Translations

extended narrative poem

• Armenian: էպոս (hy) (ēpos)
• Azeri: dastan
• Catalan: epopeia f
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 史詩 (zh), 史诗 (zh) (shǐshī)

• Czech: epos (cs) m
• Danish: epos n
• Dutch: epos (nl), heldendicht (nl) n
• Finnish: eepos (fi)
• French: épopée (fr)
• Galician: epopea (gl) f
• German: Epos (de) n
• Italian: epico (it) m
• Japanese: 叙事詩 (じょじし, jojishi)

• Kazakh: дастан (kk) (dastan)
• Kyrgyz: дастан (ky) (dastan)
• Manx: ard-skeeal m
• Maori: waiata rāwekeweke
• Polish: epos (pl) m, epopeja (pl) f
• Portuguese: épico (pt) m, epopeia (pt) f
• Romanian: epopee (ro)
• Russian: э́пос (ru) m (épos)
• Slovak: epos (sk) m
• Spanish: epopeya (es) f
• Swedish: epos (sv) n
• Tagalog: darangan, epika
• Turkish: destan (tr)

events appropriate to an epic

• Dutch: episch gebeuren/verhaal n, heldendaden pl
• Finnish: eepos (fi)
• German: Epos (de) n

• Italian: epico (it) m
• Manx: ard-skeeal m
• Russian: эпопе́я (ru) f (epopéja)

Adjective

epic (comparative more epic, superlative most epic)

1. Of, or relating to, an epic.

   Beowulf is an epic poem.

2. Momentously heroic; grand in scale or character

   The epic defense was rewarded with the highest military decorations

   China's epic traffic jam "vanished" — AFP news story, Wednesday August 25, 2010

3. (colloquial, slang, informal) Extending beyond the usual or ordinary; extraordinary, momentous, great.

   The after-prom party was epic.

Synonyms

• epical

Translations

of, or relating to, an epic

• Catalan: èpic (ca)
• Danish: episk
• Dutch: episch (nl)
• Finnish: eeppinen (fi)
• French: épique (fr)
• Galician: épico
• German: episch (de)

• Manx: ard-skeealagh
• Norwegian: episk (no)
• Polish: epicki m, epiczny m
• Portuguese: épico (pt)
• Romanian: epic (ro)
• Russian: эпи́ческий (ru) m (epíčeskij)
• Swedish: episk (sv)

Momentously heroic

• Catalan: èpic (ca)
• Dutch: episch (nl), heldhaftig (nl)
• French: épique (fr)
• German: episch (de)

• Manx: ard-skeealagh
• Portuguese: épico (pt)
• Russian: эпи́ческий (ru) m (epíčeskij)

extraordinary

• Danish: storslået
• Dutch: episch (nl)
• Finnish: mieletön (fi), mahtava (fi)
• German: außergewöhnlich (de), wahnsinnig (de), Wahnsinns-, toll (de), denkwürdig (de)

• Norwegian: storslått
• Portuguese: épico (pt)
• Swedish: episk (sv)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout#Translations.

Translations to be checked

• German: ^{(please verify)} episch (de)

• Spanish: ^{(please verify)} épico (es)

Etymology 2

From epi-, from Ancient Greek ἐπί (epí, “on top of”).

Adjective

epic (not comparable)

1. (category theory, of a morphism) That it is an epimorphism.

Anagrams

• ECPI, pice

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Danish

Etymology

From English epic, from Latin epicus, from Ancient Greek ἐπικός (epikós), from ἔπος (épos, “word, story”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɛpɪk/, da

Adjective

epic (neuter epic, plural and definite singular attributive epic)

1. (colloquial, slang, informal) Extending beyond the usual or ordinary; extraordinary, momentous, great.

   Det var virkeligt epic.