A1 noun Neutral #2,710 most common

epic

/ˈɛpɪk/

A long book, poem, or movie that tells a story about heroes and great events. It usually covers a long period of time and many adventures.

Examples

3 of 5
1

I read a long epic about a king and his gold.

I read a very long story about a king and his money.

2

The professor lectured on the importance of the national epic.

The teacher talked about the value of the country's most famous long story.

3

This movie is a three-hour epic about space travel.

This film is a very long, exciting story about going to space.

Word Family

Noun
epic
Adverb
epically
Adjective
epic
Related
epicist
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Memory Tip

Think of an Enormously Powerful Interesting Chronicle (E.P.I.C.).

Quick Quiz

The Odyssey is a famous Greek ______ about a hero's long journey home.

Correct!

The correct answer is: epic

Examples

1

I read a long epic about a king and his gold.

everyday

I read a very long story about a king and his money.

2

The professor lectured on the importance of the national epic.

formal

The teacher talked about the value of the country's most famous long story.

3

This movie is a three-hour epic about space travel.

informal

This film is a very long, exciting story about going to space.

4

Students must analyze the structure of the classical epic.

academic

Learners need to study how the old long poem is built.

5

Our project turned into a business epic with many challenges.

business

Our work became a very long and difficult story with many problems.

Word Family

Noun
epic
Adverb
epically
Adjective
epic
Related
epicist

Common Collocations

historical epic a long story about the past
heroic epic a long story about a hero
film epic a very long and grand movie
write an epic to create a very long story
national epic a long story important to a country

Common Phrases

an epic of

a long story about

grand epic

a big and impressive story

modern epic

a long story from today's time

Often Confused With

epic vs epoch

An 'epic' is a long story, while an 'epoch' is a long period of time in history.

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Usage Notes

Use 'epic' as a noun when talking about a specific type of literature or film that is very long and ambitious. While it is often used as an adjective for 'cool' in slang, its noun form is more formal and specific.

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Common Mistakes

Learners often forget that 'epic' can be a noun; they usually only use it as an adjective to mean 'great'.

💡

Memory Tip

Think of an Enormously Powerful Interesting Chronicle (E.P.I.C.).

📖

Word Origin

From the Greek 'epikos', which comes from 'epos' meaning a word, song, or story.

Grammar Patterns

Countable noun (one epic, two epics) Often used with the indefinite article 'an'
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Cultural Context

Many cultures have a 'national epic', like the 'Iliad' for Greece or 'Beowulf' for England, which defines their early identity.

Quick Quiz

The Odyssey is a famous Greek ______ about a hero's long journey home.

Correct!

The correct answer is: epic

Related Words

to

A1

Used to indicate the place, person, or thing that someone or something moves toward. It can also mark the recipient of an action or the limit of a range.

and

A1

A primary conjunction used to connect words, phrases, or clauses that are grammatically equal. It indicates addition, a sequence of events, or a relationship between two things.

a

A1

A word used before a singular noun that is not specific or is being mentioned for the first time. It is used only before words that begin with a consonant sound to indicate one of something.

that

A1

This word is a demonstrative pronoun used to indicate a specific person, object, or idea that is further away in space or time from the speaker. It is also used to refer back to something that has already been mentioned or to introduce a clause that identifies something.

I

A1

The pronoun 'I' is used by a speaker or writer to refer to themselves as the subject of a verb. It is the first-person singular subject pronoun in English and is always capitalized regardless of its position in a sentence.

for

A1

Used to show who is intended to have or use something, or to explain the purpose or reason for an action. It is also frequently used to indicate a specific duration of time.

not

A1

A function word used to express negation or denial. It is primarily used to make a sentence or phrase negative, often following an auxiliary verb or the verb 'to be'.

with

A1

A preposition used to indicate that people or things are together, in the same place, or performing an action together. It can also describe the instrument used to perform an action or a characteristic that someone or something has.

he

A1

A pronoun used to refer to a male person or animal that has already been mentioned or is easily identified. It functions as the subject of a sentence.

you

A1

Used to refer to the person or people that the speaker is addressing. It is the second-person pronoun used for both singular and plural subjects and objects.

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