🇬🇧🇨🇳 heretic - 异端者 : English Lesson

Meaning of "heretic" ("异端者"), detailed definition, and a short video lesson below.

A heretic is a person who believes or says something very different from what the leaders or most people in a group say is correct, especially about big ideas like religion or rules. Long ago, being called a heretic was very serious and could even be dangerous, because heretics were often punished for not following the official beliefs. Today, we also use the word in a lighter way for someone whose ideas strongly disagree with what almost everyone else thinks is right or normal.

Watch and listen to this English flashcard to understand the word in more detail, with an easy example sentence.

At the Serious Mustache Club, a heretic glued a pink feather to his lip and called it “modern facial art.”

In the Cookie Kingdom, a heretic was anyone who preferred broccoli to chocolate chips.

Among vampires, a heretic opened a smoothie bar and proudly advertised, “No blood, only fruit.”

Birds considered the penguin a heretic for insisting, “Flying is overrated; sliding is the future.”

In a town where everyone walked in straight lines, the heretic tap-danced in zigzags down the sidewalk.

At dawn the village shouted "heretic!" when the baker called himself a heretic for selling orange cake, not plain bread. Children pointed, elders hissed "heretic" and pushed him out. He set a warm table and invited everyone. They tasted cake, laughed, then the crowd repeated "heretic" shyly, and then hugged him—heretic no more.

This word is at the C2 level, which means it represents the highest mastery of English. It’s often used in specialized or highly formal contexts and helps you communicate with precision and subtlety, much like a native speaker.

Expanding your English vocabulary is one of the best ways to improve your pronunciation, spelling, and confidence in English. Watch the video above to memorize the word, understand its meaning, and see example sentences in action. Discover related words to grow your vocabulary naturally. Add words to your playlist for stress-free, effective learning—anytime, anywhere! Watch, learn, repeat.