noun

• A female central character in a story, film, or drama who lacks conventional heroic attributes.

  ‘Bachmann weaves tales of anti-heroines, old drunks and people dousing themselves in gasoline into a strong collection of songs.’

  More example sentences

  • ‘She is the sharp-witted anti-heroine in this rich adaptation of Thackeray's classic novel of shameless social climbing in the early 19th century.’
  • ‘Our confessional anti-heroine is still a TV journalist, still concerned about her weight (she should be more worried about the all the excess flab in the dialogue), but no longer single.’
  • ‘It's evident from the outset that his refusal is based more in abusiveness than it is in impotence, as he dances suggestively with other women at a nightclub while our pathetic anti-heroine looks on.’
  • ‘But there's no way our anti-heroine will get buff.’
  • ‘She is wonderful as the steely-eyed anti-heroine.’
  • ‘Significantly, its protagonist is the opposite of the three anti-heroines of the trilogy.’
  • ‘This is an anti-morality tale, filled with many contradictions; it offers Mother Courage as an epic anti-heroine or, in Brecht's words, a character with ‘a realistic, un-ideal quality’.’
  • ‘This anti-heroine, Sister Elizabeth Donderstock, has two salient characteristics: She sweats uncontrollably and she makes the best-selling cheese balls.’
  • ‘This was an allusion to the most infamous murder committed by the two anti-heroines of the book as they are on the run through France.’
  • ‘But what territory is there still for these anti-heroines to conquer?’
  • ‘The eponymous anti-heroine wanders the streets of the Old Quarter, touching people with beauty while holding the key to the evil all around.’
  • ‘There is no painting of the anti-heroine as Pierrot.’
  • ‘Although the consensus has always been that Undine is an anti-heroine, she has also always had her defenders.’
  • ‘Its anti-heroine is a fiercely independent packer in a cigarette factory.’
  • ‘They had found their anti-heroine to root for because she was real and because she was one of them.’
  • ‘With the British soprano as the title character, the opera had a much more believably disturbed young anti-heroine.’
  • ‘And so Walters' innocent but in all ways unattractive anti-heroine Olive Martin was born.’
  • ‘What makes it even more confusing is that this anti-heroine is played by Reese Witherspoon, who radiates sweetness and charm.’
  • ‘The music pursues the theme of the show - it's a tribute to skating anti-heroine Tonya Harding.’