Meanings
- informaloftensarcasticOne should not idolize specific people (particularly celebrities), as this will distort one's perception of those one idolizes.
Kill your heroes, stop doing it harder.
2019, Will Larson, An Elegant Puzzle: Systems of Engineering Management2 more examples
Daevid believes the visa problem that removed him so abruptly from The Soft Machine in late August 1967 probably accelerated an inevitable split. He believes his role in the band was that of catalyst — and, as he notes, you've got to kill your heroes.
2014, Marcus O’Dair, Different Every Time: The Authorised Biography of Robert WyattMy Castor: Remember what Uncle Hemlock says: "Kill your heroes."
2022, Linden A. Lewis, The Second Rebel, page 261Synonyms: kill your idols
Synonyms & antonyms
phraseOne should not idolize specific people (particularly celebrities), as this will distort one's perception of those one idolizes.
Origin
Perhaps influenced by kill your darlings.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
kill your heroes. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kill%20your%20heroes
“kill your heroes.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kill%20your%20heroes. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “kill your heroes,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kill%20your%20heroes.
Source: kill your heroes on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.