How do you use "Epic" in a sentence?

That sunset from the mountaintop was epic. We had an epic snowball fight in Central Park yesterday. The comeback in the fourth quarter was absolutely epic.

Epic

Q: What does "Epic" mean?

Extraordinarily impressive, grand, or memorable. Once reserved for Greek poetry and battles, 'epic' became one of America's go-to superlatives in the 2000s. An epic fail, an epic win, an epic meal — everything could be epic. While some consider it overused, it remains a staple of American casual speech for describing anything remarkable.

American Slang Term American ★★★★★ Very Common Casual

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Meaning: Extraordinarily impressive, grand, or memorable.

极其令人印象深刻、宏大或令人难忘的。

Extraordinariamente impresionante, grandioso o memorable.

とてつもなく印象的で、壮大で、忘れられないほど素晴らしいこと。

대단히 인상적이고, 웅장하며, 기억에 남을 만한 것.

Once reserved for Greek poetry and battles, 'epic' became one of America's go-to superlatives in the 2000s. An epic fail, an epic win, an epic meal — everything could be epic. While some consider it overused, it remains a staple of American casual speech for describing anything remarkable.

曾经专属于希腊史诗和战争的词，'epic'在2000年代成为美国人最常用的最高级形容词之一。一个epic的失败、一个epic的胜利、一顿epic的大餐——什么都可以是epic的。虽然有人觉得它被用滥了，但它仍然是美式口语中形容非凡事物的常用词。

Antes reservado para la poesía griega y las batallas, 'epic' se convirtió en uno de los superlativos favoritos de los estadounidenses en la década de 2000. Un epic fail, un epic win, una epic meal — todo podía ser epic. Aunque algunos lo consideran un término demasiado usado, sigue siendo un pilar del habla informal americana para describir cualquier cosa notable.

かつてはギリシャの叙事詩や戦いに使われていた「epic」は、2000年代にアメリカで最も人気のある最上級表現の一つになった。epic fail、epic win、epic meal——何でもepicになり得た。使いすぎだと感じる人もいるが、目覚ましいことを表すアメリカのカジュアルな表現として定着している。

한때 그리스 시나 전쟁에만 쓰이던 'epic'은 2000년대에 미국의 대표적인 최상급 표현이 되었다. 대실패(epic fail), 대승(epic win), 엄청난 식사(epic meal) — 모든 것이 epic할 수 있었다. 일부에서는 남용됐다고 보지만, 대단한 것을 묘사하는 미국 일상 대화의 필수 표현으로 남아 있다.

Examples

That sunset from the mountaintop was epic.
从山顶看到的那场日落太壮观了。
Aquella puesta de sol desde la cima de la montaña fue épica.
山頂から見たあの夕焼けは最高だった。
산꼭대기에서 본 노을은 정말 대단했어.
We had an epic snowball fight in Central Park yesterday.
我们昨天在中央公园打了一场超级大的雪仗。
Ayer tuvimos una batalla de bolas de nieve épica en Central Park.
昨日セントラルパークで壮大な雪合戦をしたんだ。
어제 센트럴 파크에서 엄청난 눈싸움을 했어.
The comeback in the fourth quarter was absolutely epic.
第四节的逆转真是太精彩了。
La remontada en el último cuarto fue absolutamente épica.
第4クォーターでの逆転劇は本当にすごかった。
4쿼터에서의 역전극은 정말 대단했어.

Pronunciation

Usage Guide

Context: experiences, stories, gaming, adventure

Tone: impressed, dramatic

✓ Do Say

That was epic!
太牛了！
¡Eso fue épico!
あれは最高だった！
진짜 대단했어!
An epic road trip.
一场史诗级的公路旅行。
Un viaje por carretera épico.
壮大なロードトリップ。
엄청난 로드트립.

✗ Don't Say

Considered somewhat dated by Gen Z — mixing it with newer slang keeps it fresh
Z世代觉得这个词有点过时了——和更新的俚语混用可以让它保持新鲜感
La Generación Z lo considera algo anticuado — combinarlo con argot más nuevo le da frescura
Z世代にはやや古いと思われている——新しいスラングと組み合わせると今っぽく使える
Z세대에게는 다소 구식으로 여겨진다 — 최신 슬랭과 섞어 쓰면 더 자연스럽다

Origin & History

From Greek 'epikos' meaning a grand narrative poem. The casual American use exploded in the 2000s through gaming culture and internet forums, where 'epic win' and 'epic fail' became standard vocabulary. 'Epic' became the millennial generation's defining superlative.

Cultural Context

Era: 2000s onwards

Generation: Millennials, Gen Z

Social background: Universal