heroic

Compared meaning: not afraid of danger or difficulty (adjective).

比较义项：勇敢的，能面对危险或困难而不退缩（形容词）。

• brave

  The most common, everyday word for courage; used for any situation, including small ordinary acts like a child's, with no special formality or intensity.

  语气最普通、最日常的表示勇敢的词；可用于任何场合，包括儿童的小小举动，没有特别的正式感或强烈程度。

  The brave little boy went to the dentist without crying.

  那个勇敢的小男孩去看牙医，没有哭。

• courageous

  More formal than brave; emphasizes deliberate moral courage in facing fear or difficulty, often used to praise an ethical stand rather than a small everyday act.

  比brave更正式；强调有意展现出面对恐惧或困难的道德勇气，常用来赞扬伦理上的立场，而不是日常小事。

  She was courageous enough to report her boss's illegal behavior.

  她足够勇敢，举报了老板的违法行为。

• heroic 本词

  Describes an extraordinary act, often saving or helping others, worthy of admiration or recognition; stronger and more dramatic than brave or courageous.

  描述一次非凡的行为，通常是拯救或帮助他人，值得赞赏或表彰；比brave或courageous更强烈、更富戏剧性。

  The soldier's heroic rescue of his wounded comrades earned him a medal.

  这名士兵英勇营救受伤的战友，因此获得了一枚勋章。

• valiant

  Literary and slightly old-fashioned; typically describes a noble, determined effort made against great odds, often even when it fails, especially with 'effort' or 'attempt'.

  带有文学色彩、略显古雅；通常描述在巨大困难面前做出的高尚而坚定的努力，即使最终失败，常与effort（努力）、attempt（尝试）搭配使用。

  Despite the odds, the team made a valiant attempt to win the final match.

  尽管希望渺茫，这支队伍仍做出了英勇的尝试，想要赢得决赛。

Brave, courageous, heroic, and valiant all mean not afraid of danger, but the tone differs. Brave is the most common, everyday word. Courageous is more formal, stressing deliberate moral courage. Heroic describes an extraordinary act, often saving others. Valiant is literary, for a noble effort.

这四个词都表示“面对危险或困难毫不畏惧”，是一组容易混淆的近义词，但语气强弱和正式程度不同：brave最常见、最日常；courageous更正式，强调有意展现的道德勇气；heroic和valiant语气更强、更书面化，常用来形容非凡的行为或努力，其中valiant还带有“尽管艰难仍坚持尝试”的意味。