Synonyms of icon

icon

noun

ˈī-ˌkän 

variants also ikon

1

as in hero

a person who is the object of extreme or uncritical devotion

Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, the Beatles, and other icons of pop culture

Synonyms & Similar Words

• hero
• idol
• classic
• model
• god
• paragon
• ideal
• exemplar
• nonpareil
• beau ideal

2

as in symbol

a written or printed mark that is meant to convey information to the reader

the player's remote control is very user-friendly as it doesn't use any icons that you haven't seen a million times before

Synonyms & Similar Words

• symbol
• character
• sign
• glyph
• letter
• numeral
• cipher
• hieroglyph
• pictogram
• rune
• pictograph
• ideogram

3

as in avatar

a visible representation of something abstract (as a quality)

cites Marlene Dietrich as an icon of old-time Hollywood glamour

Synonyms & Similar Words

• avatar
• incarnation
• image
• abstract
• manifestation
• personification
• incorporation
• instantiation
• embodiment
• objectification
• externalization
• epitome
• personifier
• genius
• essence
• embodier
• paradigm
• actualization
• personalization
• realization
• exemplification
• substantiation
• model
• archetype
• concretization
• quintessence
• exemplar
• soul
• reincarnation
• pattern

4

as in star

a person who is widely known and usually much talked about

a sports bar filled with photos of icons from football, basketball, and baseball

Synonyms & Similar Words

• star
• celebrity
• personality
• hero
• name
• superstar
• light
• somebody
• personage
• luminary
• celeb
• notable
• cause célèbre
• megastar
• notoriety
• dignitary
• figure
• VIP
• standout
• notability
• cause celebre
• idol
• favorite
• heartthrob
• monument
• pillar
• worthy
• eminence
• mogul
• demigod
• immortal
• magnate
• baron
• bigwig
• nabob
• kahuna
• panjandrum
• big shot

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• nobody
• has-been
• lightweight
• mediocrity
• noncelebrity

5

as in image

a two dimensional design intended to look like a person or thing

any icon of the Deity is regarded as blasphemous by adherents of that religion

Synonyms & Similar Words

• image
• depiction
• representation
• illustration
• portrait
• likeness
• picture
• resemblance
• caricature
• view
• drawing
• silhouette
• sketch
• photograph
• delineation
• cartoon
• diagram
• watercolor
• etching
• collage
• montage
• doodle
• finger painting
• daub
• hieroglyph
• pictograph
• ideograph
• ideogram
• hieroglyphic

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of icon

The fitness icon and media personality bought the 1937 Neoclassical Revival Colonial–style home in the 1980s and maintained it as his primary residence until his July 2024 death at the age of 76. —Katie Schultz, Architectural Digest, 6 June 2025

Ex-assistants, stylists and artists for his label Bad Boy Records have come forward – some willingly and some not – and testified about a man whose status as a public icon allegedly enabled him to be a private monster. —Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 6 June 2025

The Royal Caribbean just announced that none other than Diana Ross—icon, mother, and music matriarch—will serve as the godmother of their newest cruise ship, Star of the Seas, set to debut in August 2025. —Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 6 June 2025

The band is a mashup of Murray, a singer of wide-ranging musical interests, plus Canned Heat icon Jimmy Vivino (also Conan O’Brien’s musical director), and Blood Brothers, the fiery collaboration between Wilton Manors resident Castiglia and acclaimed blues guitarist Mike Zito. —Ben Crandell, Sun Sentinel, 5 June 2025