Heromonger

/ˈhɪroʊmʌŋɡər/ noun

Definition

A person who promotes, sells, or exaggerates the deeds of heroes, similar to a fishmonger selling fish.

Etymology

Combines 'hero' with '-monger' (from Old English mangere, a merchant or trader), using the suffix that also appears in 'warmonger' and 'fishmonger' to suggest someone who peddles or traffics in something.

Kelly Says

The '-monger' suffix is one of English's sneakiest ways of being insulting—calling someone a 'heromonger' suggests they're not genuinely celebrating heroism but commercially exploiting it, which is why we use it for warmongers, fearmongers, and gossips.

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.