idol

noun

ˈī-dᵊl 

1

: an object of extreme devotion

a movie idol

also : ideal sense 2

2

: a representation or symbol of an object of worship

broadly : a false god

3

a

: a likeness of something

b

obsolete : pretender, impostor

4

: a false conception : fallacy

5

: a form or appearance visible but without substance

… an enchanted phantom, a lifeless idol …

—Percy Bysshe Shelley

Synonyms of idol

• hero

Examples of idol in a Sentence

an actor who is the idol of millions

a movie star whose portrayal of a comic book superhero in a blockbuster series has made him the idol of millions

Recent Examples on the Web

To the terminally online, Pattinson was mostly dismissed as a vanilla teen idol. — David MacK, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026

The immersive musical transforms the theater into a swinging nightclub, where Jordan plays a version of himself telling the story of Darin’s meteoric rise from teen idol to global sensation. — Lizzie Hyman, PEOPLE, 13 Aug. 2026

Another is the sheer starpower of K-pop idols like the members of BTS and Blackpink. — Madeleine Schulz, Vogue, 12 Aug. 2026

Our conversation is full of behind-the-scenes stories, which show how the interview can transform a mere celebrity into an idol. — Merve Emre, The New York Review of Books, 11 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French idle, from Late Latin idolum, from Greek eidōlon image, idol; akin to Greek eidos form — more at idyll

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing idol

• fallen idol
• matinee idol

Rhymes for idol

• bridal
• bridle
• idle
• idyll
• seidel
• sidle
• tidal
• widal
• apsidal
• subtidal
• bactericidal
• insecticidal

Kids Definition

idol

noun

ˈid-ᵊl 

1

: an image worshipped as a god

2

: a greatly loved and admired person or thing